


the devil you don't know

by quickboi



Category: Daredevil (Comics), Marvel (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, forgot to tag this but daredevil usual religious stuff, ill add characters as they show up, usual violence expected
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-25
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2019-11-05 06:34:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 23,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17913638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quickboi/pseuds/quickboi
Summary: With great power comes great responsibility and Matthew Murdock would know that better than anyone else. First there was the accident that blinded him, then the spider bite-Wait, what?





	1. Proverbs 21:15

_When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers._

Proverbs 21:15

 

It was night. Of course, these kinds of things always begin at night. The moon, not quite yet full but heading there, hanging over the scene like the lights on a stage. It was as if the next scene of a play was being set up. Invisible figures danced across the stage with a slight sense of urgency as the small details were set in place. Everything had its place and from a certain place in the theater, you could see everything and everyone.

At least... that was what Matt was told.

He sat closest to the stage so he could pick up on every detail. Every breath each actor took, every slight movement they made. Being blind seemed like it would ruin the experience, but for Matt, it pulled him in a way that no one else experienced. He was a part of the action more so than anyone else.

Tonight, however, he wasn't a part of the audience. He was one of the actors. No, he was the main character. To many, he would be the antagonist. The evil lurking just around the corner. The Devil. It was a name he had grown used to over the past couple of years. No one saw him coming or going. No one knew how to stop him. Most importantly, no one knew who was under the mask. Almost no one.

The only one who knew the man under the mask (beyond from Matt himself) was Foggy Nelson. At first glance, there was nothing particularly interesting about him. In fact, if being normal was an Olympic Sport, Foggy Nelson would win silver. Not gold- His involvement in Matt's life would be enough to make him lose that place. He drew Matt back to the real world as much as he could whenever he could. Foggy Nelson was and would always be one of the most important people in Matt's life.

However, Foggy wasn't here right now. Tonight, he was lying in bed wondering what Matt was currently getting up to. What was Matt getting up to?

At this very moment in time, as the city around him slept, Matt was waiting. He sat himself firmly on the wall in the warehouse, watching patiently as the scene was being the set. There was a chill in the air that set the mood and the rain outside quietly sang its piece, dueling with the harsh whispers of the men. More specifically, the Kingpin's men. That was what they were beginning to call him. Matt knew very little about the Kingpin of Crime, but the Kingpin seemed to know even less about him.

The Kingpin seemed to pride himself in being an economist. His operations were always so carefully planned out. Everyone knew exactly what they were doing and when. All of his resources were used- Complete efficiency. It was a talent people would be praising left and right if it wasn't being used for illegal weapons. Each box the men were carefully looking through as they loaded into a truck held several firearms, most of them automatic. Being a crime lord with a deadly army by your side was hard with the wrong tools. If Matt wasn't the hero he was, he would have done the same thing. Matt, however, tried not to follow that train of thought often.

That was enough planning. The scene was set and the curtains were drawn. It was time to act.

Matt dropped to the ground as quietly as he could, using the towers of boxes to mask his entrance. Boxes upon boxes filled with various things, organized well enough to create walls yet not enough to avoid sharp turns and dead ends. The Devil entered, stage right. From outside, the orchestral weather swelled as he tip-toed through the maze like a ghost in the night. Like the Devil, stalking his prey. Kingpin's men seemed to be blissfully unaware of what was about to happen.

Matt crept around a corner as he started going over what was about to happen. He might not have been as much of a planner as Kingpin, but he could easily pull something together at any moment. As always, the odds were not in his favor. It was him against ten or so men, all armed with guns of various types. Guns were especially unpleasant for someone who could hear everything much louder than everyone else. There was also a simple solution to that- stop them before they had the time to shoot.

All that took was a simple distraction. Some noise to grab the attention of one of the men. They didn't make it very far for as soon as they left the sight of the others, Matt would pull them back to the shadows. This plan seemed to work for a few men until everyone started noticing people disappearing. When Matt pulled out his fifth man, something happened he stupidly hadn't planned for.

The man saw him. He shrieked.

Matt nearly cursed in frustration as he slammed his billy club into the man's head. Lightning hit a high note as contact was made, the rain picking up. The orchestra switched pieces as the Devil threw himself into action.

His first move was to hit the gun out of the hands of one of his foes before throwing himself, feet-first, into them. Several rounds of gunfire sang for a few measures as Matt worked his way through the quickly-growing-smaller group. The last chord struck as Matt knocked a man out, leaving only one left conscious. Matt paused before walking towards him, purposefully showing his face to further drive the fear home.

It worked.

The man shrunk back in terror before trying to drag himself away. His movements turned more and more desperate as Matt neared, his heartbeat racing. Matt couldn't see yet he could practically visualize the scene before him. Another burst of lightning struck in suspense before the rain drew back to reveal the dialogue.

Matt grabbed the man by the collar of his jacket, "Don't think you're getting out of this one that easily."

"I'm sorry," The man sobbed out, "I'm sorry. I know I haven't been a good Christian, but please. I'll... I'll go to church more! I'll drink less! God, please save me!"

A good catch. The man was another person you would call ordinary based on looks alone. His disheveled hair was a dark brown that was nearly as dark as his eyes of the same color. His complexion was fairly pale and he was built enough to be distinguished, but not enough to be called particularly strong. If you saw this man on the subway, you could never imagine what he did after the lights were out. Matt pulled him closer, "You want the Lord's forgiveness? Begging won't get you it. I need your help."

"If I help you..."

"I'll spare you, yes. And you'll stop working for Kingpin."

The man breathed out, "I- Yes. I swear on my fathers grave, I'll turn this around."

That was satisfying enough for Matt. The man's heartbeat told him enough to trust him. He dropped him without a second thought before backing up, "Your name. What is it?"

"Jude."

"Alright, Jude, what do you know about Kingpin's operation?"

Jude hesitated for a moment, "Little. I haven't been working for long and the, uh, higher up guys were starting to like me, but I wasn't being told much. I just shoot the gun, take these boxes to Kingpin's own warehouses. Do what I'm told. I- I'm sorry."

"No.. No, it's fine. Don't worry about it." Shit. Matt took a few steps back as he processed what this meant, "You.. Remember the promise you made me?"

"Stop working for Kingpin. I intend to do just that." Jude stared at him steadily, his heartbeat mirroring his stare. It wasn't a lie.

Matt sighed, "That has to wait. I need you to do a favor for me. Get into the favors of the 'higher-ups'. Keep an eye on what's going on and report back to me."

It took Jude a few moments to process what was going on. He glanced around as if he was expecting Kingpin to jump out at any moment, "Of course. How will I be able to contact you? Do I pr-"

"No." Matt quickly responded with more force than he intended, "Just call for me and wait. If I don't show up within ten minutes, I'm.. preoccupied. Do you understand?"

Jude answered with a swift nod. It was good enough for Matt. He turned around and started heading towards the exit when Jude's voice stopped him in his trails, "Are you an angel?"

An angel. Never once in Matt's life has he been referred to as an angel by someone who he just finished beating up. The people he saved would always see him as such. They were wrong, but who was Matt to tell them otherwise. To some people, he was indeed an angel. It was the Devil that more people saw. Newspapers affectionately called him the Devil of Hells Kitchen. That wasn't a proper name though Matt wasn't exactly looking to get one.

He was the thing in the shadows that you fear. The bravest of men were terrified when they saw him crawling across the walls, emerging from the shadows to deliver justice to whoever his next victim was. Were they a victim if they had it coming? Did they lose the right to being a victim when they made their decision?

Matt paused, "No."

"Then.. what are you?"

There were a few beats of silence, only filled by the continuous noise of the rain. Matt glanced back at him, "I'm going to be what the Kingpin of crime fears every night he falls asleep, wherever he is in this city."

Jude looked away for a second, a mistake when dealing with vigilantes who are as edgy as Matt was.

The Devil exited, stage left.


	2. Psalm 119:163

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to try to post every sunday... but posting times probably won't be consistant. Depends on how excited I'm post. Enjoy!

_I hate and detest falsehood, but I love your law._

Psalm 119:163

 

"Wakey-wakey, eggs and bakey!"

Matt groaned as he rolled over, waiting for his senses to catch up. The few minutes after he woke up were some of the few times he wasn't feeling, hearing, experiencing everything around him. The world was truly as dark as it would be for any other blind man. He wasn't any other blind man, of course, otherwise this story would be very different.

"I said wakey-wakey!" The disembodied voice repeated with more force to it.

As you can probably guess, this voice did, in fact, have a body to it. The voice belonged to Foggy Nelson. Partner in law, best friend, and current champion in the sport of forcing Matthew Murdock to take care of himself. He grabbed the silk sheets Matt spent too much on, yanking them aside to let the cool hit his skin. At least, it would be hitting his skin if the idiot without fear didn't fall asleep with his makeshift costume on. Foggy exhaled in frustration as soon as he saw it.

Matt blinked innocently at him, "Yes?"

"I can't believe you-" Foggy threw his hands into the air, "How late were you out?"

Two AM. "I don't remember."

Foggy stared at him for a few moments, "Just because I don't have super senses doesn't mean I can't see through your bullshit." As a long-term friend of Matt's, Foggy had gotten quite good at doing exactly that. Unfortunately, Matt's chronic dishonesty created a rift between the two at times, but no matter what... They always got back together. It was like most high school relationships as well as most of Matt's own romantic relationships.

Once again, Matt groaned as he started to pull himself out of bed. His muscles ached from last night with bruises serving as proof of what happened. The uniform clung to his skin as he pulled it off. Foggy never liked to see that aspect of his powers in action.

For most of Matt's life, he had his senses. He could remember a time when he was normal, but that was long ago. His normal included seeing the world in a very different way than everyone else. It was during high school that once again, everything changed. The spider's smell alone should have been enough. Instead of brushing it off like someone with common sense, he followed it as it crawled along his arm right up to when it took its bite.

For a week straight, he wasn't able to go to school. He could it coursing through his veins with each beat his heart took. His muscles were tense at all times and his senses constantly fluctuated between picking apart everything to sensing nothing at all. Matt would never experience anything as awful ever again. Not even his worst enemy deserved it.

"Let me shower," Matt muttered as he threw his uniform aside. He shoved Foggy out of his room, having a good feeling today was going to be a long day.

He was correct.

Work was slow, which normally wouldn't be an issue, but it tore Matt apart. The entire day dragged on as he struggled to keep himself up. To make things worse, the world around them was being particularly loud. He could hear each tick and tock of the clock Foggy kept in his office. For about four hours, Matt endured this with only minimal time wasted sleeping. He was _this_ close to stabbing himself with a pencil, when he heard a familiar heartbeat head towards the door.

Karen Page.

Karen Page was one of the most beautiful women Matt would never see. She wasn't beautiful in the way you would expect it, though. Her beauty was one of a kind. More importantly, she was the smartest out of her, Foggy, and Matt. A journalist who often got her nose into other people's business, Karen often found herself in places Matt didn't like. She and her friend were experts at getting into trouble. There were several times he found himself swinging to her rescue.

Matt listened as Foggy opened the door to let Karen and her friend in. Her friend was another journalist, Mary Jane Watson. He wasn't sure where the two met or when, but it seemed as if they knew each otherwise all of their lives. Of course, Matt wouldn't know this, but MJ was someone you would call conventionally attractive. She was a little more on the catty side, but she only bit when you really deserved it. Karen Page and MJ Watson complimented each other. Karen brought MJ back to the real world and MJ helped Karen explore her more adventurous side. Was she a bad influence? Maybe, but all the best people were.

"Where's Matt?" Karen asked as she set her bag down.

That was his cue. Matt strolled out of his personal office, "Is that one Karen Page I hear?"

"And MJ," MJ spoke up from beside Karen. She had no real reason to be here, besides the fact Karen usually dropped by for lunch.

"Of course. I don't think anyone's ever seen you two apart."

"Nope." They responded together, sending them into a fit of giggles. It was almost adorable if you forgot for a moment they were two adult women.

Karen recollected herself before moving towards Matt, "Usually I eat lunch with just MJ, but I was wondering if you.. wanted to join us?"

"Of course. Does MJ mind?"

As if on cue, MJ perked up, "It's no issue. In fact, Peter wanted to meet me somewhere. I wish I could join you two, but.." A lie. They would have no idea Matt could tell, but that wasn't the important part. The purpose was to get him to have lunch with Karen.

Matt grabbed his walking stick just to fold it up and take Karen's arm. Her heart jumped slightly at the sudden touch, but Matt couldn't say much. His heart reacted the same way. If life turned out any other way for the two of them, maybe they wouldn't be in this position. The truth was that Matt had fallen for her years ago- hard and fast. And Karen? She felt the same exact way... for him and for the Devil.

How could he let himself have her when he spent his nights out in the streets? It would only put her in more danger. outside what she was already in, thanks to her (pushed) association with the Devil. He could see her when he was Matt Murdock and when he was the Devil, but never keep her.

Lunch would be close enough for the both of them.

Karen assisted him as they walked towards a local pizza place, chattering about her current story. Usually, Matt would have been very interested, but there were other things to focus on. It wasn't until he heard 'Kingpin' that he was pulled from his own head.

"Kingpin?" Matt repeated like an idiot.

Karen paused her train of thought, "Oh, right. He hasn't been in the news lately, but MJ and I have started doing a little digging. We know there's someone running most of the crime in New York, but..."

"You can't figure out who."

"Exactly! He's.. methodical. Very careful. If we were to expose him, imagine how much crime rates would drop? How much _organized_ crime rates would drop... What?" Karen frowned at his expression, slowing her walking pace.

Matt shook his head, "Nothing. I just hope you two are being very careful. This person will be dangerous."

"I'll be fine. You don't have to worry. You know why?"

"Why?"

Karen grinned, "The Devil has my back. If I need help, he'll come."

Of course. Of course, his only reassurance Karen wouldn't be killed was him. He wanted to tell her that wasn't enough, to stop looking into someone as dangerous as the Kingpin, but he couldn't. A blind lawyer wouldn't know anything about what the Devil does or how to protect yourself against crime lords. Exposing himself as the Devil wouldn't be an option either. Instead, Matt forced a slight smile on his face, "It's nice to know you have someone looking over you."

Little did she know that the Devil couldn't see at all.


	3. Psalm 107:28

_Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress._  
Psalm 107:28

As Karen and Matt went on to enjoy their lunch, certain events were happening in a very particular order. These events seemed very mundane (save a few), but they would quickly prove to be of importance. In fact, in order to truly understand, you would need to go back long before the story begun.

This is the story of Matt Murdock, yes, but it's also the story of another man- Peter Benjamin Parker.

In a way similar to Foggy, Peter Parker was what you may call ordinary. He had an ordinary type of attractiveness and an ordinary sense of fashion, though if there was something extraordinary about him it would be his intelligence. Most people would not have heard of him in their life- not yet at least! His intelligence was on another level- maybe not quite Reed Richards, but close. Still, he had quite the future ahead of him.

He excelled in the scholarly part of high school, making it out alive with three life-long friends. This led to scholarships for a full ride to Empire State University and eventually a chance to work with the famed scientist Otto Octavius. The only thing separating him and Matt so far was location; however, that was soon to change.

Beyond that, there were a few things to keep in mind about Peter Parker:  
1\. His heart was just as big as his brain.  
2\. He might be an assistant now, but he would soon be an inventor comparable to Tony Stark.  
3\. He knew... he was going to help change the world. It might take some time but that wouldn't stop him.

Peter Parker knew who he was and what he could do. As his uncle always said, with great power comes great responsibility. Peter wasn't afraid of responsibility.

How he would help change the world was another thing. It wasn't until he checked the news one night that he figured out what he wanted to do. The first appearance of the Devil sparked something inside of him. An itch begging to be scratched. A curiosity... He needed to know more. Where did the Devil come from? Was he a man or truly a demon? More importantly, how could he help?

Gathering information of the Devil was difficult. Having your ex-turned-friend be best friends with someone who knew the Devil was helpful, but there was only so much he could ask. Slowly, but surely, he figured out more and more. The Devil seemed to be a man, yet something gave him special abilities. Special abilities weren't entirely unheard of these days, though they weren't exactly common either. From the looks of it, the Devil didn't seem to care too much about keeping himself safe. Peter found himself thinking up variations of armor and how they could look. It wouldn't be until he met the Devil himself that he would get to any real work.

In order for him to do that, a few things would have to happen.

First, he would be startled by a phone call from MJ. Apparently, her daily lunch break with Karen had to be canceled. The two of them would meet up at the pizza place Peter once worked at for him to basically listen to whatever MJ had to say today. There was always something new for MJ to go on about. She had been in theatre during High School, but it seemed talking about the drama of real life interested her more than that of fiction.

MJ lifted a slice of pizza, "Karen loves this place. She's busy with her favorite lawyer though. The two of them are having lunch together."

Murdock. Peter was vaguely familiar with the other. He had read about some of his cases and knew Karen had a thing for him, but nothing much about him.

"Karen agreed to this?"

That caused MJ to laugh, "No. She's too busy trying to pick between him and the Devil to make a move. To be fair, I would have a thing for the Devil if he was my type."

"Yeah right. You'd be too busy fantasizing about Gwen to notice him."

MJ's face turned a bright pink as she spluttered. Peter was the last man she was into before she discovered women were more her taste. Her current (and longest lasting) crush was a mutual friend of theirs- Gwen Stacy. He had met her during college and introduced her to MJ. The two hit it off quickly.

"That's different! I- Shut up, Pete!" MJ shoved him back.

Peter laughed as he watched MJ try to pull herself together. After his laughs subsided, they fell into a comfortable silence as they continued to eat. This was a silence reserved for friends who knew each other on a deeper level- they could simply exist with each other without saying a word and it would still be enjoyable. It was only when it was obvious Peter had something to say that conversation would start up again.

"Remember the project I mentioned working on?" Peter prompted.

"Yeah?"

"I think I perfected the formula. What I used was-" He paused when he saw the look on MJ's face, "Right. You don't know science shit. It sticks really well. The only issue is that it dissolves after an hour, but I can work on that. We can- Doctor Octavius is helping. With this technology-"

"Yeah, yeah, you can change the world." MJ's expression shifted slightly.

Peter frowned, "Is something wrong?"

She sighed in reply, "You're working on this and.. Gwen has her own project... but what am I doing? I mean, Karen is much better at this than I am-"

"Don't say that."

"No, it's true. Even I can admit that, with my big ego. It feels like I could be doing more."

Peter reached out to take her hand. To some, it might seem romantic but the two of them knew otherwise. Even if MJ didn't prefer women, nothing would have worked out. He squeezed it, "You especially know I wasn't always doing this kind of stuff. It'll come to you sooner than you can expect."

He was more correct than he realized. However, MJ would have to wait. Peter, on the other hand, would soon be walking right into his next science project.

The rest of the day passed normally for Peter. After his lunch, he headed back to the lab to work more on his most recent (and soon to be completed) project. Octavius was preoccupied, giving Peter plenty of time to simply do whatever he desired. He was Octavius' assistant, but the man wanted Peter to be able to build his own things.

Otto Octavius was another genius that should be kept in mind. Unlike most geniuses, he wasn't afraid to get assistance when needed. He leaned closer to being solitary without completely disregarding the advantages of working with others. There were only two men Peter would say he looked up to- his uncle Ben and Octavius. Working with his idol was a dream come true and Peter was grateful for it every day.

Octavius wasn't perfect so when he accidentally sent a shelf toppling over, Peter was more than happy to help clean up. Accidents like these weren't too uncommon and this would have been easily forgotten if it didn't lead to the next few events.

Peter helped clean up. He left later than usual.

If Peter left when he usually did, he would have walked by a particular dumpster without a second thought. He would have gone up to his apartment, went to bed, and his life would have remained exactly the same. Instead, he slowed to a stop as he heard the groans coming from it. What he saw inside made him freeze for a moment as he tried to process it.

The Devil. In all his blood-covered glory, the Devil shifted in his spot. Whoever did this to him must have figured authorities would find his dead body the next morning. Luckily for him, Peter had gotten there just in time.

Getting the Devil to his apartment without being noticed was another struggle, but Peter managed. It became much easier when the Devil woke up despite how much he was leaning against him. Things became much worse when the Devil slipped and snagged his mask on something. Once again, he was lucky as Peter had closed the door before the mask slipped out to reveal the man under.

The _blind_ man under.

"Murdock?" Peter's jaw dropped, "Like... Matt Murdock?"

"...Shit."

"No! It's okay- I'm Peter. Peter Parker, MJ's friend?"

Matt exhaled, "That doesn't help. You knowing who I am, puts you in danger. Helping me this much has already placed a target on your back. I have to go." He struggled to get to his feet before Peter helped him up, only to lead him to the couch.

"And if you leave now, how do you know that you won't bleed out in the streets?" Peter went to grab the first aid kit MJ forced him to keep. Part of him thought Matt would be gone when he came back, but it seemed Murdock was convinced. Either that or he was too weak to get up again.

There were few arguments after that. As Peter did his best to take care of Matt's wounds, he listened closely to the Devil's origin story. It was obvious that only a select few heard this. Should Peter feel grateful for being trusted like this? The two of them had never spoken and Peter knew him mostly from MJ and Karen's stories. Up until now, he had written him off as the blind lawyer Karen had feelings for. If someone tried to tell him that man spent his nights beating the shit out of people, Peter would think they were crazy.

As soon as Peter patched up his last cut, he paused, "Let me get this straight. You got powers from chemical waste... then powers from a spider bite?"

"Correct."

"And you don't have a spider theme?"

That caught Matt off guard. "Excuse me?"

"I mean.." Peter searched for the right words, "If I was bit by a spider, I would go full out. The Spectacular Spider-Man! I even have some web-based..."

"Peter?" He tilted his head in confusion as Peter grabbed the now torn mask before moving on to feel the fabric of his suit.

"This is awful," Peter muttered to himself.

"Hey! I'm doing the best I can with what I have-"

Peter shook his head, "That's the issue. This is the best you have and you need better. Better weapons, better armor. A genuine super suit like the Fantastic Four. What you need is someone of fairly high intelligence willing to build you a suit. Give you an image even if you can't see it yourself. Make you a proper superhero. Make you... Spider-Man."

"I'm not going by Spider-Man."

"Fine. The name is a work in progress, but spiders will be incorporated into it."

Matt scoffed, "I never agreed to let you do any of this. Why shouldn't I find someone else to.. Right. You're the only one who can do this that knows. Fine. Don't make me regret this."

Matt would be in luck- Many things in his life would lead to him regretting things, but this? This would turn out to be one of the few times he wasn't a massive idiot.


	4. Proverbs 25:26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh god, sorry for the two week hiatus. I'm getting back into it though and I'm hoping I'll be able to post again next Sunday.

_Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked._  
Proverbs 25:26

Peter had gone to work right away. After their conversation, Matt listened as the other retreated to start scribbling something out. A costume design? How he looked wouldn't concern the blind man as he would be unable to see whatever he would be wearing. Still, he knew there was an advantage to having a specialized design and his only request was to still strike fear in the hearts of his enemies. Peter's reply to that was his fighting and reputation would do that for him.

The two of them fell into silence as Peter worked until the next interruption came- a knock on the door.

"I think I can go-" Matt started to get up when Peter grabbed his arm.

"No. You're still too injured. I- shit." Another knock pushed Peter to simply drag Matt into the closet and there was a soft 'sorry' as he shuffled over to the door.

"Peter, I'm so sorry to come here so late. I don't know what to do." Matt didn't recognize the voice of someone he assumed was a friend of Peter. Their heart was racing, but their distress was obvious due to the slight increase in Peter's as well. Maybe he shouldn't be listening in on their conversation?

"No," Peter paused for a moment, probably to offer some comfort, before he continued, "What's up? Is it Norman again?"

"Yeah, but.. I need you to promise me something."

"Of course."

The person exhaled shakily, "You can't tell anyone this. I mean anyone, not MJ, not even the police."

Peter breathed in slowly, "Harry.. I... Alright."

Matt wasn't exactly sure what lead to the next events, but Peter must be awful at keeping secrets. Seconds passed before Harry quickly walked towards the closet to dramatically open it. He could barely hold his tattered mask to his face before he was revealed.

"Jesus Christ."

The words came out before he could process what he was saying, "I'm usually called a demon, so the reverse is surprisingly nice."

"Harry, listen," Peter grabbed his friend's arm, "I can explain. It's not what it looks like."

"It looks like the Devil of Hell's Kitchen is in the same closet you were in High School." Harry pulled his arm away as he continued to stare.

"Okay, not the same closet-"

"Peter!"

Peter panicked for a second, "Maybe it's a little what it looks like, but I swear this hasn't been a Thing. I just found him a couple hours ago and I couldn't leave him there to bleed out. You have to understand."

He did understand. Matt at least assumed he understood as he listened to how his heartbeat slowed down slightly and he inched towards him like Matt was some wild animal Peter brought home. It wouldn't be fair to judge Harry for this because in it's own way.. that's exactly what it was.

Harry hesitated, "...No. I understand. I'm Harry... Osborn, yeah. I'm nothing like my father though."

Norman Osborn was a one-of-a-kind man.. in a not-so-nice way. He was a nice businessman once you took the man part out and whatever kindness he had was only to make him look good. Little was known about how he became the man he was and for a short period of time, he seemed to have a change of heart. His wife was the only light in his life- When she was gone, part of him died as well. Harry grew up with a dead mother and a father with a heart of ice. More importantly for Matt, however, was his dislike of vigilantes. Few were as involved with taking down the Devil of Hell's Kitchen as Norman Osborn, for reasons unknown. These unknown reasons would matter more if Osborn was more of a threat, but it was nice to know who was out to get you.

"Harry.. I'm sorry.." The words felt awkward as Matt said them, "I wanted to leave a while ago but your friend.."

"I'm going to help him."

There was some silence before Harry nervously, "You're... what?"

"Harry," Peter started again, taking a moment to collect his thoughts before continuing, "He does so much for this city and.. look at him! No offense-"

"None taken."

He gestured towards Matt, "He's going to get killed out there and we need someone like him... He isn't going to last long like this. Again, no offense."

That stung more, but that wasn't important. "Again, none taken."

"And what I'm saying is-"

"Like I said, I understand," Harry interrupted quickly as if this was something he had to do often.

Peter smiled, "That's good... though... I'm guessing you probably don't want to discuss what you came here for in front of him..."

Harry's heartbeat picked up as if he just remembered why he came in the first place, "No... I think the Devil can help me here. Should I call you the Devil?"

"Call him Spider-Man."

"I'm not going by Spider-Man! Just call me Jack." He figured his father wouldn't mind if he used his name as an alias. Peter luckily didn't comment on the use of a fake.

Harry squinted in confusion, "Why would I call you... Actually, never mind, that doesn't matter. I think my father is in danger."

Matt wasn't surprised. Osborn hasn't particularly done anything to put himself in danger, but that was simply the nature of the business. Some people would do whatever it takes to be the most successful. Part of him wanted to let him deal with whatever he got himself into, but that part was almost always ignored. If he wasn't going to help everyone who needed it, what kind of hero would he be? He grimaced, "I'll help your father. Why do you think he's in danger?"

"As you know, my father is one of the richest men in New York- No, in the entire country... The company does much more than people realize. Unfortunately for us, that just means we're more of a target," as Harry continued to speak, he seemed to get more confident in what he was saying. It was less about finding help for his father and more like he was giving a briefing on a mission. Peter didn't seem to be surprised by the turn in his demeanor. Harry turned towards Matt, "currently, R&D is working on a top-secret project that he won't let even me know the details about."

"And you think competitors are after this?" Matt asked.

He nodded, "Knowing my father, whatever he's working on will most likely be very profitable. He can be a bastard but he's a stubborn bastard and he's the only father I have. He's... he's the only family I have left. I know he won't give up whatever he's hiding. It's up to you, Jack."

"I promise I'll keep him safe."

That seemed to satisfy him. He smiled slowly, "I really appreciate it. I'm guessing you don't want my soul or anything."

Matt snorted in amusement, "Don't sell your soul for your father. He isn't worth it."

Matt may wear the name like a mask, but Norman Osborn would always be more of a devil than him. As he watched Harry leave and Peter return to his work, he was left alone with his thoughts. Was protecting Osborn the right thing to do? More importantly, was whatever Osborn was hiding from his own son worth protecting? Would God want him doing this? Ever since Matt lost his sight, he was left wondering why. It wasn't until his father died that he was able to piece together a reason. His time in the orphanage lead him to spend more time about the local church, listening to the prayers of the people inside. Was this his purpose? Had God taken his sight so he could be his soldier? Was saving Norman Osborn's life all part of God's plan?

"Uh, Matt, maybe you should lay down?" Peter pulled Matt out of his daze, "Are you alright?"

Was he alright? Matt wished he had an answer, but instead he shuffled back to the couch and forced himself to lay down. He rolled over. "I'll be fine."

Whether or not he was didn't matter. He had to be, if not for those who loved him or those who relied on him to be saved... so he continue to be God's soldier. That's what mattered most to him.


	5. Proverbs 18:24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm Jewish so do my verses make sense in context? Who knows. Maybe one day I'll find one outside Proverbs and Psalms..

_"A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."_  
Proverbs 18:24

Recovery was fast and it didn't take long for Peter to get finished with the first official version of the webshooters. His new suit didn't take long either. That was what Foggy seemed to be more focused on, but the only explanation he got was some laughter and 'piss'. It didn't take long for him to get used to his look nor did it take long for the public to adapt to what his apparently yellow and red look. The horns were another story; initially they were a joke that Peter seemed to grow attached to. Matt's attachment to them was one he didn't plan on being open about. His investigation of the Kingpin as well as whatever was going on with Osborn were slowing down, but that didn't put a damper on his mood.

Things were getting better for the Devil of Hell's Kitchen- No, the Spider Devil.

The name made Matt cringe slightly, though it didn't matter what he thought. New York City had already grown a liking for it. It would take him some time to get used to it as well as his new status. He was so used to working in the dark, barely being known. There were only rumors of the Devil of Hell's Kitchen. Everyone knew and loved the Spider Devil. The not-so-friendly neighborhood Spider Devil, as Peter put it.

Nothing could possibly prepare him for this.

Matt's face fell as he approached his office. There were three heartbeats: Karen (slightly excited), Foggy (nervous), and a third familiar one. This was one he hadn't heard in a very long time.

Elektra Natchios.

Elektra Natchios was one of the first people Matt had loved romantically. She was the personification of a rose- Beautiful, but beware of its thorns. Treat her like a delicate flower and you'll get cut. It didn't take long for Matt to get pulled into her life, nor was it easy dragging himself out. At the end of it all, they realized that they simply weren't good for each other. Hearts slightly broken, they went their separate ways. Never to see each other again... until now.

"Matthew, it's been awhile," Elektra pulled Matt into a hug, "Karen and Foggy have told me so much."

"They have?" Matt gave Foggy a look and was given a slight shrug in reply.

Karen either wasn't aware of the awkwardness or she didn't care as she continued to smile, "Only good things! I'm not going to spill everything right away." Elektra laughed slightly and Matt lost the ability to speak. They were... getting along? He had no reason to assume otherwise, but part of him worried that Elektra would tear apart everything if she ever came back. It seemed so natural for them to not be at each other throats... he felt almost silly for assuming otherwise.

"That's... It's nice you two are getting along. Where's MJ?" Matt searched for something to talk about besides the fact Elektra just showed up unannounced.

"Oh, she's with Peter. Apparently, you two have been getting along."

That caught Elektra's attention. She turned towards him, "Oh? Matthew, you're making friends?"

"I... I.. have friends," He spluttered, "Don't you- I mean, I assume you do-" This wasn't going well. Karen must have been looking at him weirdly and Foggy, the only person other than him and Elektra who understood what was going on, was doing his best not to make it obvious something was up.

"Matt...?" Karen slowly moved to brush his arm.

Matt gripped his walking stick tightly. "Elektra. Can we talk?"

He didn't give her any time to respond as he grabbed her arm to pull her towards his office. Foggy didn't waste a second to pull Karen aside, offering a short summery of the relationship without exposing Matt's abilities. A mental note to thank Foggy later was made and Matt closed the door, turning around to face his past lover. She took a moment to recognize her surroundings before beginning to speak.

"Beautiful office," Elektra lifted herself up to sit on the desk, "I'm assuming Franklin did the decorations?"

"I helped out. It is my office and I like to know where I'm going."

She nodded and her hands slowly reached towards some papers, "Of course. You two make a very nice team..."

"Don't touch that."

"My apologies."

Matt pushed the papers out of reach, "What are you doing here?"

"Just visiting an old friend..." She smiled innocently, placing her hands in her lap.

"Bullshit."

Elektra opened her mouth to respond, but quickly changed her mind. Clearly, a different approach would be required. She sighed as she pushed herself off the desk, "It's obvious what you're doing. Outside of the whole law thing... I can tell you've been running around Hell's Kitchen late at night... searching for something to hit. I guess you could say I've been doing a similar thing. My father's company recently gotten involved with Oscorp and-"

"Hold on-" Matt waved his hand, "After everything that happened between us, you expect to show up and ask for help? I was nearly kicked out of college because of you."

"But you weren't."

"That's not the point! I can't drop my life aside because you need help with whatever this is you're doing. Why do I owe you anything?"

She rolled her eyes, "If you'd listen, you'd understand."

"What is there to understand?" Matt learned towards her as if he was one second away from kicking her out... which he was.

"My father was killed a week ago."

He wasn't expecting that. All the air left his lungs as he scrambled for something to say. Instead, he slowly grabbed her hands, "Listen... I'm sorry. I didn't hear about it."

"I'm supposed to take over the company this evening... The official announcement is then and- That's not why I'm here. I don't need your pity, Matthew, I need your help," Elektra pushed down any emotion as she forced herself back on track, "My father had gotten involved with Oscorp and recently, he... Well, I've been trying to get a good look at their top secret program. I used my father... They killed him because of it. It... it was supposed to be me."

"Elektra... this isn't your fault."

She scoffed, "Don't lie to me. If I hadn't been digging where I wasn't supposed to, my father would still be alive. The bullet that ended my father's life had my name on it, whether Osborn realized it or not. He killed the wrong Natchios... and I want revenge."

A tinge of salt hit the air as Elektra started to tear up, twisting Matt's heart into a knot. He pulled her into a hug tightly. "I'll help you, but not with revenge. We have to be better than Osborn... Though, this doesn't make sense."

"How so?"

"...Someone came to me- His son- claiming that his father was in danger."

Elektra pushed Matt back to look at his face. "What are you trying to say here, Matthew? That Osborn wasn't responsible?"

"We can't say for sure, but I think we should wait until we start pointing fingers. Our first goal is to find out what everyone is after... and whether or not Kingpin was involved in it." Matt stepped back, running his hands through his hair. If the Kingpin was involved, that would make things even worse.

"Whatever this project is... If that many people want it, it's almost a certainty Kingpin would try to get his- or her- grubby hands on it. This isn't good... When do we start?"

Elektra's enthusiasm almost surprised him. She was usually hard to keep up with, but it still surprised him how quickly she could jump back from barely holding back tears. It seemed as if the only way someone would understand her would be to share her mind. Matt faltered for a moment before quickly pulling himself out of it, "tomorrow night. Nelson and Murdock will make sure to make an appearance at your gala."

She smiled as she pushed herself off his desk, delivering a quick kiss on the check, "good. I gave Franklin the invitation. Can't wait to see you there."

Without another word, she left the office. Matt listened as she gave her goodbyes to Foggy and Karen before heading out. The idea of having Elektra back in his life always gave him a bad feeling, but the weird feeling in his stomach seemed oddly absent now it was happening. His heart, however, was still pounding as he kept an ear on her departure. It wasn't until then that he realized he overlooked that fact she already knew he was a vigilante.

First Foggy, then Peter, now Elektra? It seemed the people who knew his secret were slowly growing in number and that was exactly the opposite of what Matt wanted.


	6. Corinthians 11:13

_For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ._  
Corinthians 11:13

Matt smoothed his suit down as he stepped out of the car, waving off one of the employees who wanted to help. It would only take Foggy a few moments to reach him so he could grab his arm. Normally, he would be able to maneuver on his own, but playing as a blind lawyer meant he had to pretend to need help. He let Foggy lead him into the building as he took in his new environment. It smelled like a perfume store on steroids and he could barely imagine how well everyone was dressed. That was expected, given that it was attended almost exclusively by the elite of New York.

He could barely hear the rest of New York over the chatter around him, but the heartbeat of Karen Page caught his attention.

"Karen," Matt smiled slowly as she approached the two of them, "And MJ. Can I assume you're both looking nice?"

"I always look good." MJ moved into a subtle pose, pulling a laugh from Karen.

"Maybe if you weren't nearly falling out of your dress."

MJ scoffed, "I am not nearly falling out of my dress. I just like to show off what I got. Maybe you should give it a try-"

"We have to be professional, MJ. We're journalists not.."

"Models? Speak for yourself."

It was a cute moment of banter that Matt found himself smiling to. MJ and Karen's friendship always seemed special to him in a way that was similar to him and Foggy, yet very different. Moments like these showed how different the two while still getting along. The two of them went on like this for another minute before MJ stepped away to talk to someone, leaving the three of them. That was until Foggy stepped away to... find anything else to do. The intent was obvious- Let Matt and Karen talk by themselves.

"So..." Matt hated himself the instant it came out of his mouth.

Karen brushed back a strand of hair, "We don't have to do the small talk if you don't want to."

"Really? Thank god."

That made her laugh, "Is that Matt Murdock's biggest weakness? Small talk?"

Matt feigned a face of fright, "Ever since I was a child, I had a terrible fear of it. Used to think people were hiding in my closet, waiting to try and initiate some with me. First time someone did, I had nightmares for weeks... It was awful."

"That sounds horrifying."

"You have no idea."

Karen was silent for a few moments before her heart picked up, "Oh! MJ gave me a necklace to wear that I think I might have to steal."

"Probably not the best thing to admit to a lawyer, Ms Page." He teased.

She grabbed his hand, "You don't know what it is I'm planning on taking."

Matt let her place his hand by her collarbone and he slowly moved up towards her neck, following the chain down to the pendant. Her heartbeat slightly quickened as he dragged his fingers along her skin to lift it up. It was what seemed to be a rose.. most likely silver. That wasn't what was important. What was important was her slowly accelerating heartbeat that seemed to jump whenever he made skin contact. There was also the fact that his heart was doing the same thing. His own heart was drumming in his ears as their separate heartbeats started to march to the same beat.

He moved his other hand slowly to cup her cheek, accidentally smudging a bit of her makeup, "Karen.."

"My makeup!" Karen squeaked after a moment, but Matt had a feeling it wasn't about that, "I'll be right back." She scrambled off without a second thought, her heart still pounding.

He was so focused on the sound of her heart that he didn't notice the person who had approached him until he spoke. "She reminds me of my wife before she passed. She was always such a beautiful woman... Someone you hold onto tightly. Never let her go."

Matt recognized that voice anywhere- Norman Osborn. Owner of Oscorp, possible killer of Elektra's father, and the man he was supposed to protect. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to believe about him. Osborn was known to be lax about following the laws, but his company's advancements in science saved many lives. To some he was an angel yet he was the devil to others. Whether or not he was a good man didn't matter... Matt had a bigger devil to deal with and hopefully, Osborn would lead him to it.

"Norman Osborn," Matt said smoothly as he held his hand out, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Osborn gripped his hand tightly as he shook it, "The pleasure's all mine... Mr Murdock, am I correct? Surprising to see Ms Natchios invited a lawyer."

Matt chuckled, "Two, actually. I'm sure my partner is around here somewhere. Ms Natchios and I are actually friends. We met in college and recently started talking again."

"Oh! Well, I'm glad she has someone to help her through this terrible time. Her father was such a great man..." Osborn's voice trailed off. "It's unfortunate he had to pass away so soon."

"I heard you two started working together?"

His question was met with a few moments of silence, "...From Ms Natchios, I assume?"

The lack of a real answer made Matt nervous. Was no one supposed to know? The two companies hadn't exactly been public about their new partnership, but Elektra didn't phrase it as a secret. "Was I not supposed to know?" He frowned slightly, pretending to be guilty about it.

Osborn's demeanor changed slightly, "Don't worry about it. We hadn't had time to work out the specifics of our partnership so we were going to wait to announce it. Discussing this with who I assume will eventually be Ms Natchios' lawyer doesn't seem like a wise idea, though, especially one who has fought against your company in a court of law."

"I understand."

"I'm glad we are at an understanding. I have to be careful nowadays..." He glanced around as if the moment he said that, something would happen.

Matt furrowed his brows, "Running a successful company does that, but I'm sure there's nothing in particular you need to worry about."

Osborn slowly touched his arm and leaned in to whisper in his ear, "I'm only telling you this because you are close with Ms Natchios. I have reasons to fear someone is targeting my company for... something we are working on. Her father was interested in it and he turned up dead. I'm sure you can understand my fear."

'That's awful. Who would ever do that?" Matt fought back the urge to shrink away from his touch, not sure why his stomach was twisting like it was. His spider-sense, as Peter had called it, wasn't going off. There was nothing to fear yet he couldn't calm himself down.

"My theory? The Kingpin of crime." There was no hesitation from Osborn to say it. Matt couldn't help himself from gasping in reply.

"You're kidding."

"I must be competition or he must be interested in my latest project- top secret, of course."

"He? How can you be sure Kingpin is a man?"

Osborn paused to glance around again, lowering his voice back to a whisper. "I've had people look into it. The evidence all points to one man- Wilson Fisk."

A single conversation with Norman Osborn was getting him more information than he had been getting as Spider Devil in weeks. It was almost unbelievable. Matt had never heard of a Wilson Fisk before, but there must be good reason for Osborn to assume it was him. Matt allowed himself to process this. "This is... a lot of information you're passing onto me. Why?"

He smiled in reply. "Simple. You know Ms Natchios, I have good reason to assume she'll hire you if she has to and you're a good lawyer. I'd hate for New York to lose you because you got tied up into something dangerous... and I'd hate for Ms Natchios to end up like her father."

If Matt didn't know any better, he would say that was a threat. Words failed to come to mind as he realized what Osborn was doing here. It didn't matter whether or not Matt was going to work for Elektra, he would be a direct line to her. Directly telling Elektra this would seem suspicious especially if it was about the man who most likely caused the death of her father. Although not the best thing to do, it didn't fit in with Elektra's theory. Osborn moved back, seeming to note Matt's realization.

The quickly awkward growing situation was saved by the appearance of the best journalist the Bugle had to offer. Karen gently touched Matt's arm as she stood beside him. "Mr Osborn? Would it be possible for me to ask you a few questions."

"Of course. I'm sure I can answer a few before anything important starts." Osborn gave Matt a final look before he stepped off with Karen.

Their conversation blended into the backdrop and Matt allowed himself to get lost in the chorus of conversation around him. It wasn't until Osborn had stepped away that he realized he was holding his breath the entire time. He released it, ignoring the growing feeling in his gut that something bad was going to happen.


	7. Hebrews 10:30

_For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.”_  
Hebrews 10:30

"Is it comfortable?" Elektra's voice jolted him out of his thoughts.

"Excuse me?"

"The costume. Is it comfortable?"

Matt considered her question. "...More than you think. It was designed to be able to- That's off topic. We need to focus here."

It was Matt's first team-up as Spider Devil... if you could really call this a team-up. He was doing his usual patrol when Elektra showed up, dressed in her own costume. There didn't seem to be much to it, but Elektra seemed proud of it. Was she really planning on becoming a vigilante as well? There weren't many of them though that didn't mean there had to be.

Besides that, he was worried about her. After the gala, he filled her in about what happened with Osborn and more importantly, the information he was given. Elektra's heart spiked slightly, which was perfectly normal. It was when she calmed down seconds later that he started to wonder if this was the best idea.

Her dressing up seemed to be proof he wasn't wrong.

"Focus on what? We're just sitting here, waiting for crime to happen." Elektra played with some of the fabric on her costume, swaying slightly in her spot. Obviously, she was impatient.

"No. We're waiting for someone."

"Who?"

"Him." Matt dropped down quickly, explaining absolutely nothing.

Elektra exhaled, "right. I love it when you tell me what's going on." She dropped down, covering the bottom half of her face quickly before running to join him.

"Oh. There's two of you now?" The man that everyone most likely had forgotten about jumped slightly at Elektra's appearance.

"She's a friend of mine."

"Matthew, you didn't-"

The man looked at Matt, "Matthew? Your name is Matthew?"

Matt inhaled as he composed himself. "Secret identity, Jude."

That didn't satisfy Jude. He crossed his arms. "I've been putting my neck out for you and I have no idea who are you are. That's complete bullshit. You know everything about me. Can't I at least know your name?"

That seemed fair enough to him so he grabbed his mask, pulling it off. Elektra and Jude seemed shocked and it wasn't until then that Matt realized he didn't have to totally reveal his identity. He set the mask down, "in our fight against the Kingpin, we should be completely honest. Matthew Murdock, pleasure to meet you, Jude. That's Elektra."

Jude faltered slightly, "like.. the blind lawyer? You're blind?"

"Yes. I could explain to you all about my powers, but that's for another day. What do you have for me?"

"Oh! Right," Jude exclaimed as he got back on track, "I haven't gotten much word about Kingpin, but I heard he's started paying for some extra help to deal with you."

"What?"

Jude pulled out a folder and froze as he went to hand it to Matt, "uh, sorry, I..."

"I'll take it." Elektra quickly jumped in, taking the folder. An air of awkwardness hung over them as she flipped through the papers inside.

Matt cleared his throat. "What's in the folders?"

"I can explain it," Jude quickly said as Elektra looked up, "a hitman. You probably haven't heard of him, but he's been getting the attention of governments around the world. He's very deadly and word is that anything he can get his hands on can- and will- be used as a weapon..."

Elektra snorted as she closed the file, "are you trying to sell him to us?"

"No. He goes by Bullseye because he never misses his target."

It felt like a ghost story and from the way Elektra glanced towards him, he could tell he wasn't the only one thinking that. Maybe it was the way Jude said it or something else, but Matt couldn't make himself take it as seriously as he should. If he went by Spider Devil, why can't this person go by Bullseye? Matt nodded, "Bullseye. Noted. Have you possibly heard of a Wilson Fisk?"

Jude thought for a few seconds. "No. Should I have?"

"I've heard that he might be the Kingpin, but... I'm not sure if I can trust who it comes from."

"And that is?"

"Norman Osborn," Elektra spoke up. "I think he killed my father. It was him or whoever this Wilson Fisk is. Finding him is imperative."

"I'm... sorry for your loss." Jude frowned.

Elektra's face didn't change, "I didn't just lose him... He was taken from me and I'll never forgive them for that. The thief will not only regret taking his life, but they'll regret every breath they've taken up until I steal their last one. And that breath- It will be spent begging for me to take it."

And there it was. Matt wasn't sure what he was expecting when he noticed Elektra was dressed up, but it was along the lines of this. He grabbed her arm. "Elektra... Can we talk?"

She huffed as she stepped away from Jude, "if you're going to tell me not to kill my father's killer, don't bother. I already made up my mind and I'm going to do it."

"You can't just kill people!"

"I'm not just killing someone. I'm getting justice-"

"This is not justice!" Matt interrupted her, "It's vengeance."

Elektra didn't hesitate to respond, "then vengeance is what I will get. I don't care what you call it. My father may not have been the best man he could be, but he didn't deserve to die.,. especially when it was supposed to be me. Now, I am not only the owner of his company, but the owner of his sins, like... a Sin-Eater."

He could have sworn Sin-eater was already taken as a name, but that wasn't important. What was important was that Elektra seemed to be veering right into costumed vigilante zone. Matt would be hypocritical if he told her not to go there, but it was different with him. This was what he was made for- Elektra was only going here out of grief. If only there was something he could say or do to pull Elektra off this path... For once in his life, Matt felt almost helpless.

It must have been obvious as Elektra relaxed slightly, "don't look at me like that, Matthew, I know what I'm doing. You can't change my mind."

"I know."

"Then let's get to work. Wilson Fisk won't find himself."

Elektra didn't waste a second to walk back towards Jude, quickly striking up a conversation. He found himself focusing on the words yet not picking up much of what was being said. All he could pick up was that it wasn't something he needed to be involved with. The world blended into nothingness as he listened to the sounds of their conversation, as if he was listening to a song turned down too low to be properly heard. His body felt detached and he found himself diving in deeper into his thoughts.

What next? What would he do if they did find this Wilson Fisk? How could he stop Elektra when she was this dead set on killing him? For once, things seemed to be picking up in his favor, but it still didn't feel like that. Instead of enjoying how quickly they were moving to bring down Kingpin, he found himself worrying about what was to come.

It was like his spider-sense was going off, but there was nothing to be- Matt tilted his head as soon as he realized the shift in the air. No, that was his spider-sense. He gripped his billy clubs until the buzzing went down and that's when he noticed something.

An unfamiliar heartbeat, not too far away.

As the heartbeat got fainter, the buzz of his spider-sense died down as well until there was no feeling of danger.

"Matthew?" Elektra seemed to notice the change in his posture, "did you hear something?"

Matt was silent as he processed what just happened, "yes. Someone was watching us..."

"Shit. For how long?"

"Just a few seconds. They didn't hear anything of importance," Matt reassured them, but deep down he didn't believe it.

Elektra didn't seem convinced either, but she didn't say anything else about it. How was he supposed to lead them in the right direction if he could barely convince himself they were safe? He never wanted to be any kind of leader...

But that was who he had to be. So that was what he would be.


	8. Matthew 7:7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't feeling too good about this one.. Gotta get that plot development tho

_Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you._  
Matthew 7:7

Days had passed and Matt threw himself right into research. Whoever Wilson Fisk was seemed determined to keep his identity hidden, something that was expected of a crime lord. Elektra quickly jumped into running her company, being careful around Osborn as she did her best to help with the research. Even Jude seemed to have started to investigate on his own. The amount of work they were getting done excited Matt.

It exhausted him as well.

The toll of the hours he put into it were quickly catching up with him as he found himself falling asleep at his desk more and more often. Nights were for patrolling as Spider Devil, saving the people of his city. Days were for him to do the exact same thing as lawyer Matt Murdock. Between research, swinging around New York City, and his actual job, time for sleeping was growing less and less.

Thankfully, things at the office weren't too exciting for the moment. He gratefully accepted the few hours to lay his head down, close his eyes, and-

"Matt?" A hand shook him awake gently. It took him a few moments to realize who it was.

"Karen?" He even sounded exhausted.

Karen grabbed a chair to pull over and sit down, "Someone's sleepy. Don't you have a perfectly good bed to use at home?"

"...Maybe I think my office chair is comfortable."

"You can't possibly think that's comfortable."

That was true. Matt smiled at her, "I bet I could easily find something more comfortable."

"Oh?"

He pulled himself to his feet, after feeling around for her, sat right back down on Karen's lap. Karen laughed softly as he leaned his head against her shoulder, moving his legs to hang off the armrest. It took him only a few seconds to make himself comfortable before he looked innocently up at her, "What's been going on with you?"

"I-" Karen met his gaze after as she pushed down more laughter. "Me? Well, I've just been working. I'm sure whatever is keeping you up is much more interesting."

He shook his head, "No.. I want to hear about you. What you do is so much more important than my lawyer shit." Lawyer shit... If only he was working on that. Looking into the possible Kingpin wasn't the best work to be done. Spending time with Karen seemed like exactly what he needed and what he deserved after all the progress that was being made.

She slowly moved pieces of hair out of Matt's face, "I just finished a piece on mental illness among the homeless. MJ's recently..." Karen's face fell a bit, "She's gotten very involved with a certain project... Too involved."

"What do you mean?"

Karen exhaled before continuing, "I'm sure you've heard of the Kingpin of crime."

"You've mentioned him... You and MJ have been doing some research into him, right?" Matt shifted to sit up more, now paying attention to her heartbeat. It was slowing speeding up... Probably due to anxiety. He was getting worried just from hearing 'Kingpin'.

"Yes, but with everything going on... I've been working on other pieces and such, but MJ? She's become almost obsessed with it. I'm worried it's become too much for us.... and I know..." Karen's voice lowered, "about Spider Devil."

His heart froze. "E-Excuse me?" How could she possibly know? Matt had been very careful to hide whatever injuries he got and it's not like he had to make many excuses to her personally. It took all of his willpower to keep his panic from reaching his face.

"I know you've been working with him," Karen looked down, "I'm sure this is what you're doing right now and... I'm worried about you, yeah, but you have a superhero on your side! He can protect you."

Matt allowed himself to breathe again, "Karen... I... I'll get.. him to speak to her about this."

"Thank you. And make sure to thank him for me as well. I don't know what I'd do with myself if something happened to her..." Karen moved to wrap her arms around Matt. "Be careful, please? If you get hurt, I'm kicking Spider Devil's ass myself."

Ironic. Matt pressed a kiss to her forehead, "I promise."

And he intended to keep that promise, so when Elektra had called to let him know she found out where Wilson Fisk lived... He made sure to make a stop by MJ's apartment. Finding out the truth about Kingpin was important, but making sure the people close to him were safe was even more important. That included friends of friends.

Matt dropped down onto MJ's balcony, hiding under the face of Spider Devil. He knocked on her sliding glass door a few times before stepping back. MJ was home and seemed hesitant before opening the door; given who she was looking into it, Matt couldn't blame her.

MJ slowly set down the baseball bat she had grabbed, "Spider Devil? To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Stop looking into Kingpin."

"No warning, huh? I'm guessing Karen set you up to this." MJ crossed her arms.

"Kingpin is a dangerous man. You could get yourself hurt- Or what about Karen? Peter?" Matt stepped towards her and in turn, she stepped towards him.

"I am being careful. You may be a superhero, but I'm an investigative journalist and I know what I'm doing. I'll do my best to be careful, though." She stared right at him, not wavering one bit. It was now he realized why Karen liked her so much.

Her response wasn't entirely satisfying, but it would do for now. He sighed, "I can't promise I'll be able to protect either of you."

"Matt, please have more faith in me- Don't look at me like that. You're not great at hiding it and I've been doing my best to keep Karen off your tracks too."

Matt faltered back as he processed it, "earlier today... she said I was working with Spider Devil. That's..."

"Thanks to me?" MJ smirked. "You're welcome, by the way."

Matt wanted to say more, but he found himself lost for words. Why was it so difficult to keep this secret? The list of people who knew was getting way too long and all he could think about was if he had damned them... He sighed as if he was about to say something else, but nothing came out after.

MJ stepped forward to pat his shoulder, "hey, I'm not going to tell anyone. I got your back and I'm sure you have better things to do than argue with me about this."

"You're right," Matt turned around. "Be careful. Stay vigilant."

He didn't waste another second before he pulled himself out via web. Elektra, a few blocks down, was starting to get impatient. It only took him a few seconds to swing through the city- An amazing improvement from before he met Peter. It wasn't until now that he realized how much the gadgets Peter made improved his efficiency. Matt made a mental note to properly thank him as he attached to the wall nearby where Elektra was waiting for him.

She didn't look up, "how did your talk go?"

"Peachy. What'd you find?" Matt dropped down besides her.

"Wilson Fisk," Elektra started slowly walking towards to abandoned building, "he's the modern day Al Capone. Most people weren't aware he existed unless they knew about the Kingpin and he's gathered an immense amount of wealth through crime... yet..."

"He lives here?"

"Most likely. This was the place I could track him to... well... I could track the information to."

Matt walked towards the door and slowly pushed it open. "Let's see what our Kingpin of crime is really like."

The moment he opened the door, a strong stench came from inside. It smelled almost like a corpse, but he doubted it was that. Maybe Wilson didn't keep his house clean? The two of them pushed through, pausing occasionally to note the details. Something about all of this felt wrong. There were only a few pieces of furniture and none of it seemed to be expensive enough for a rich man's taste. It smelt like half the stuff was rotting. If Matt had to guess, he'd say this building had been abandoned for at least 10 years.

"Are you sure he's h-" Matt froze when he realized what he was seeing.

A body. It was in the next room over, but the smell of death was nearly overwhelming. He held his arm out to stop Elektra from moving forward before he realized who he was with. She could handle seeing a corpse.

"What is it?" Elektra moved around his arm to step into the next room. She froze. "Matthew..."

"It's him, isn't it?"

She swallowed before kneeling down to flip the body over, "The Kingpin is dead?"

"Things just got much more complicated," was all Matt could think to say as he stared at the body.


	9. Matthew 6:13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ....So lets not talk about that hiatus. Okay? Okay.

_Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from sin_

Matthew 9:13

Matt found himself unable to gather his thoughts as Elektra inspected the body, getting more and more confused. She wasn't the only one. The smell had sunk into the house enough that he didn't think much of it until they found the body and there seemed to be little heat coming off of it. If he didn't know any better...

"He's been dead for months," Elektra finished his thoughts quietly as she flipped him back over.

Matt furrowed his eyebrows, "that's impossible. He can't have been dead and Kingpin at the same time."

"Then he's not Kingpin... Anymore, at least."

That answer seemed so obvious yet Matt found himself doubting it. All this time was spent for what? Another false lead? Days and nights of research to only come up with a dead body? Matt knelt down to touch the body for himself, brushing his fingertips along the cold skin then fabric until he felt an abrupt change- an area of dried blood all leading up to a hole directly over his heart. A bullet hole.

"He was shot," Matt muttered, "point blank, it must be. Especially with this kind of accuracy. Whoever killed him must have been staring right at him."

"And yet he had his gun in his pocket? No time to react... He must have been distracted by something," Elektra responded as she pulled the firearm from his pants pocket.

"Maybe he was slow?"

Elektra scoffed. "Think about it, Matthew, clearly someone wanted Fisk dead. Someone careful enough to drop him in this specific house so he wouldn't be found for months until we came looking. Why risk their own safety by fighting him when they could get someone else to kill him? Make it personal... talk to him a bit as their hitman lined up the shot and..."

It clicked. He stood up slowly to walk towards her, "you're not talking about Fisk anymore, are you?"

She fell silent, "... I was the one who found his body. I saw the look on his face... And I know my father... It was the same accuracy as this and... I was right. Wrong, but most importantly right."

"Norman Osborn killed your father," Matt reached out to grab her, "but he had someone do the dirty work for him. Osborn has been the Kingpin all along."

The room fell silent as Matt's words echoed through his head. Fisk was just a red herring! His conversation with Osborn played back through his mind, the way Osborn sounded as he whispered Fisk's name to him. It seemed like he was taking leaps forward yet all he was doing was walking back. His target right in his face, mocking him with a smile and false sense of fear. More importantly, he was just a means of getting Elektra off Osborn's back. To give her something to do while he continues with whatever his newest project is.

Matt might have stayed in his thoughts all day if he hadn't heard a third heartbeat pick up in the area. It was whoever had been spying on them before- One of Osborn's men?

His facial expression must have been obvious. Elektra tensed as well, looking around the room slowly. "What do you hear?"

"It's him." His own sense of confidence surprised him, but he couldn't find any other explanation. "It's Bullseye."

"Bullseye?!" Elektra roared with anger as she spun around. "You coward! I'll cut your fingers off and feed it to you like the animal you are!"

The slight jump in the heart rate was enough to confirm, but the laughter that followed would have worked as well. There was finally a voice to the name as a taunt echoed throughout the empty building- "Only if you can catch me!"- and the chase was on.

Matt nearly missed it as Elektra leaped up to pulled herself through a hole near the top of the building. The two of them leaped from building to building as the figure ahead did the same. He was nowhere near as graceful as the ballerina and the gymnast yet his technique (or lack thereof) got the job done. Whenever they would be right behind him, he would toss something behind him to give him the time to get ahead. His heart danced with excitement at the chase yet he seemed to show no sign of showing down. Matt had met a few hit men during his time as a vigilante, but he had never met someone like Bullseye.

The chase must have gone on for hours as they ran throughout the city, never slowing down to catch their breaths. Adrenaline and instinct had seemed to take over as the slowly growing discomfort in his muscles faded away. They fell into their rhythm until Bullseye changed his step.

He leaped and twisted around to show himself as he tossed a brick that seemed to come out of nowhere. All Matt could think about as he jumped to dodge it was how he missed the brick being picked up. More importantly, as he miscalculated his jump. Matt started to fall, his heart leaping out of his body as the world around him fell eerily silent. For a few moments, he found himself wondering where he would find himself when he woke up. Heaven? Hell? Somewhere in between?

Is this what it was like to fall?

Elektra's hand pulled him out of his daze as she caught him and she was saying something as she pulled him up, but he was still elsewhere. His ears were focused on the sound of Bullseye's heartbeat as he got further and further away until the rest of the city swallowed it up. It was a rhythm he knew he would never forget.

Heartbeats were special to him as they would be to anyone who could hear everything. He held his closest friends heartbeats close to his own heart, memorizing the exact pattern. Every habitual skip and beat. Sometimes he found himself tapping Karen's or Foggy's when he thought about them or Peter's when he heard something science-y he knew Peter would love to explain. He remembered Jude's with a weird feeling of hope for the future and Elektra's with an indescribable sadness that wasn't quite pity. Even MJ's could be played in his mind like a song.

Bullseye's seemed like it would haunt him (and it would).

Elektra dropped to sit besides him, exhaling deeply. "I can't believe myself. Osborn played us like a fiddle and now he knows I know! And he knows you know! And- God! I was so close!"

"Elektra..."

"Don't you dare 'Elektra' me!" She jumped to her feet. "If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't... We would have Bullseye now! And we-" She cut herself off with a barely suppressed scream.

"Elektra! Get a hold of yourself!" Matt knew that wouldn't help, but the words came out. He was so stupid sometimes.

Her heatbeat spiked. "Get a hold of myself? Matthew, he killed my father! He's been working with Osborn and we spent all this time hunting down Wilson Fisk when the real Kingpin has been in our faces the entire time! You know what I told you when I went to get your help? That Norman Osborn killed my father. And you!" Elektra jabbed her finger at him, "you didn't believe me! You let Osborn set us after Fisk like the idiot you are and now- You're useless."

Matt pulled himself to his feet. "I'm..."

"Don't apologize," she closed her eyes as she suppressed her rage. "If you want something done fast, you send a man. If you want something done well, you send a woman. You did your best, Matthew, I can't fault you for that, but I will get my revenge. Don't come looking for me."

There was nothing he could do until as she disappeared into the night and he was left wondering if it could have gone any worse.


	10. Matthew 10:28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damn I really did use Matthew 3 chapters in a row... Oh well. I think this ones a bit longer than the rest (and the most important so far).
> 
>  
> 
> ....Also, no. I'm not sorry :). Enjoy

_Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell._

Matthew 10:28

 

When Elektra didn't want to be found, she was impossible to find. 

Matt spent weeks hunting her down as he tried to figure out what the next step was. He knew who Kingpin was... Proving that to everyone else was a different story. Telling Harry was something else completely. 

Peter had easily accepted that Norman Osborn was Kingpin, but Harry? Harry denied it vehemently and with such earnestness that it was almost hard to believe everything Matt had heard about Osborn's treatment of his son. With just that, Matt had already lost two allies who could have made this a lot easier. No matter how much Peter swore Harry would come around, he found himself already accepting the fact the tides were quickly turning against him.

Of course, they'd always been against him. 

With Kingpins identity, he could probably sum up what he was going up against. Norman Osborn's influence was almost unimaginable and his wealth was worse. His lab seemed to be cooking up new inventions all the time, creating a healthy mix of weapons and scientific advancements. Osborn seemed to teeter on the edge of savior and destroyer- Something he also seemed to think made him more of the first option. As Kingpin, he had an army behind him as well as Bullseye.

Bullseye... His new enemy's heartbeat thudded in the back of his head despite the fact he knew he was alone. 

He knew he was alone because he was currently sitting in his apartment in silence as he stressed over the future. It almost reminded him of college besides from the fact that Foggy- 

Several sharp knocks on the door pulled him out of his thoughts, "Matt! I know you're in there and I know you already know who it is."

Matt wasted no time pulling himself to the door to let Foggy in. Foggy aka the only person other than Peter who was completely informed about the situation. It was a new thing he was trying, thanks to Foggy's endless pleading to at least let him know if he was going to get himself killed. Unfortunately, this meant he would have to deal with his law partner trying to be helpful when things went wrong (which was only an issue for a man like Matt).

"Don't you have better things to be doing? Like work?" Matt asked before realizing what he just said.

He didn't need vision to know Foggy was giving him a look, "I closed the office for the day because this was more important and I know you're planning on doing something stupid."

"I'm not planning anything."

"Exactly! You're going to go out there, hunting for Bullseye, and get yourself killed!"

Matt scoffed slightly, "I haven't died yet."

"Yet?!" Foggy pushed past Matt to walk into his apartment, "I don't know why you struggle so much with this. Elektra wants to get Bullseye so why don't you let her deal with that?"

"And let her get killed?"

"Elektra is much smarter than you, okay? I'm sure she has some plan." 

"Maybe I have a plan."

Foggy paused his anxious pacing. "And that plan is?"

It was then that it had occurred to him that he actually did not have a plan... but what better time to make one! Matt gave himself a few seconds of thought before he spoke up, "What if I still hunt down Bullseye.. . but I don't try to fight him until Elektra shows up then we work together to bring him down?"

Foggy raised an eyebrow, "And she's going to actually work with you?"

"What choice does she have?"

And so, the plan was hatched. Matt wasn't stupid enough to think that was a good plan, but those usually fall apart within seconds during an actual fight. No one truly plans out a fight unless it's going to be on television or a stage. All he really had to do was follow one simple rule- Don't fight Bullseye until Elektra has started the fight. How that happened would be all up to him.

The first step would be to actually find Bullseye, which was much easier now he knew his heartbeat. Several hours of swinging around the city (with ample breaks in between) lead him to a small pizza shop where he found Bullseye sitting outside with a slice. The smell of the pizza alone was almost enough to distract him, but he had to stay strong. 

Ultimately he wasn't strong enough so a pizza break and an hour later, he managed to find Bullseye once again. This time felt different, however, as Bullseye seemed to be waiting for something. Or someone. 

Matt crouched above him as he listened to the surrounding area. The two of them were all alone except for a single heartbeat, slowly growing louder in his heart. A familiar pattern...

Elektra

It suddenly clicked to him what was going on. Bullseye had set a trap for Elektra and managed to lure the both of them in. There was no time for waiting so he completely disregarded his plan. This was something he would grow to regret in the upcoming years. If he had followed the one simple rule, would things turn out different? How much can one decision change the outcome of events such as this? Matt would have to wait to ponder this, however, as the action would begin very quickly.

"Elektra, wait, it's a trap!" Matt yelled as he jumped right in front of Bullseye, only saying there a second as something was headed straight towards him. It wasn't until he dodged it that he figured out what it was- A throwing card. How odd.

"You idiot!" Elektra pulled out her sai as she ran towards Bullseye, "You were the trap! He let you find him so you could lead me here!"

Bullseye cackled as he continued to rain cards on the two of them. Matt found himself barely able to dodge them, his spider sense going off nonstop. It wasn't until he felt his arm and then parts of his leg sting that he realized he was getting sliced anyways. This already was going completely awful.

Matt quickly found something to hide behind to wait for Elektra to join him. Several moments passed before he realized Elektra wasn't going to join him. Of course she wasn't. She had no choice but to work with him and yet she turned away to chase her vengeance. It wasn't until he decided to focus on what Elektra was doing closely that he realized what was happening.

She was fighting him. They were trading blows, jumping all over the place. It almost seemed choreographed until Elektra started losing footing and she moved back enough to give Bullseye room to do his trick.

He tossed another card without effort, which wouldn't be notable until Matt heard a strangled voice that took him way too long to identify as Elektra's.

"Matthew..." She tried to yell out, but she could barely get anything out. 

Everything around him slowed to a near stop as Matt pushed himself out from his hiding spot. Bullseye was already grabbing one of her sai to shove it right through her stomach and the world around him was started to grow deathly silent. All he could heard was the rapidly changing heartbeat of Elektra's. It sped up in panic as the sai entered her and as Bullseye disappeared into the night, Matt found himself rushing to catch her. 

"Elektra! Elektra, I'm..." Matt held onto her tightly as he moved to hold his hand over her throat. By the sound of her panicking heartbeat and the blood finding its way onto him, it didn't take much for him to accept what was going on. 

Elektra was dying and there was nothing he could do to save her. 

So he did what he could. He slowly pulled off his mask, holding her as gently as he could.

"I'm... not ready... Not yet..."

"Not yet!" Bullseye cackled behind him. Matt had seconds to pull his mask back on before he set Elektra's body down.

Matt balled his hands into fists, "You... You're going to pay for this, Bullseye..."

His threat only made Bullseye laugh more, "Like she said, not yet! You're going to suffer, Matthew, and I'm going to enjoy every second of it!"

"What the hell did I do to you?"

"Absolutely nothing!" Bullseye smiled as he stepped back and Matt's spider sense started buzzing. It's buzzing only grew with intensity as he tried to figure out what was going on. Bullseye was putting something into his ears and.. Shit.

The world around him seemed to explode with sound as everything around him went out. He had little time to agonize over the few seconds of complete silence as he felt blood trickle down from his ears and all conscious thoughts were fading around him.

In his last moments of consciousness, he found himself reaching out for Elektra only to remember seconds later she was gone forever and it was all his fault.


	11. Corinthians 5:1

_For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands._ Corinthians 5:1

The next few days, Matt found himself flowing in and out of it. It being.. everything. Hours blurred by him as he searched for Elektra's body over, only to find a single card covered in her blood. The same blood that was in his suit from when he held her. He could hear her heartbeat thumping quietly. Her blood still stained the air around him. His breath was quickly getting caught in his throat as he found himself sinking deeper into an indescribable feeling of complete nothingness.

Maybe she wasn't dead? If she was dead.. wouldn't he find her body?

The city around him turned to nothing as he swung back to his apartment, unable to tear his thoughts away from her. Her last breaths and the terror he could feel surrounding her as well as him.

Matt didn't bother to pull off his costume as he dropped onto his couch. What would be the point? He wasn't going to go outside as Matthew Murdock any time soon. The last the public saw of the blind lawyer was him reporting Elektra's disappearance to the police. He could only imagine how he looked, stumbling into the police station to tell announce Elektra was gone.

Not dead, gone.

If he had nothing else, he would keep his blind hope that she was still out there.

When the door knocked, he didn't bother to move to get it. He didn't want any guests anyways. Foggy and Peter both showed up to support him, but he turned them away. Isolation for grieving always fit him better. It would be embarrassing for anyone to see him like he is, laying on whatever he could find that still had Elektra's scent. Anything that would make it seem like she was still here.

It wasn't until the door had opened that he realized who it was bursting in- Karen Page.

"Karen, wait-" Matt moved to get up, but found himself rolling onto the floor.

She hardly seemed surprised as she stopped where she was. He tensed in anticipation for her to begin lecturing about how dangerous Daredevil was but instead he found himself being lifted up.

Karen sighed, "Foggy told me everything. Especially about..."

"Don't say her name."

She fell silent instead, dropping back to the floor as she pulled him closer into a hug. He wanted to push her away, but he found himself melting into her embrace as well. It was the first physical touch he allowed himself in days and he found himself quickly falling apart. Tears started spilling down his cheeks as he allowed himself to cry for the first time in years. Karen said nothing as she rubbed his back. What was there to say anyways? Matt appreciated the silence as he pushed his face into her shoulder. He had forgotten what it was like to be held like this.

"I really am sorry.. About everything. I wish I could.." Karen muttered by his ear, moving up to run her hand through his hair.

"Do something?" Matt replied quietly, "I wish I could.. I.. I was there when it happened."

He could practically hear her heart break, "Oh.."

"I was holding her as she.. She was so scared and I couldn't do anything but hold her," His voice cracked, "She called for me.. I could have saved her if I was just a little faster or if I used my webs or-"

"Matt, none of this is your fault..."

Matt breathed out shakily, "It is. I chased her away and I left the fight, expecting her to follow me, but she didn't. I let her take Bullseye on by herself and now she's dead."

Karen moved back to wipe the tears from Matt's face, "Did you stab her?"

"...No."

"Who did?"

It took him a second to realize what Karen was doing here. "Bullseye did. He used her own sai before.. he used this." Matt pushed back from Karen to grab the card.

Karen squinted at it as it was handed to her, "What could an ace of spades possibly do to someone?"

"Slit her throat. But.. he left it behind. He took everything from the scene, except the card. Why?"

"To mock you, of course." Matt pulled himself to his feet with a new-found strength, "Karen, think about it. This card didn't even deliver the final blow. Why leave me that instead of.."

"The body," Karen gasped, "Norman Osborn's science project! What if they needed someone? Bullseye wasn't there to kill Elektra.."

"..He wanted her captured!" Matt finished, "But now she's dead... Bullseye is in deep trouble."

Karen gawked at him for a few moments, trying to find some conclusion other than the obvious- Matt wanted to be a hero. But save Bullseye? After what he did? Her expression softened, "You can't be serious.."

"I want him to suffer for everything he's done, but that's not the way. That's not what my father would be proud of. If we.. find out about Osborn's project and find Bullseye, we may be able to recover Elektra's body."

"What if you don't like what you find?"

Matt hesitated as he thought about it. What if he didn't? What if Osborn left her nearly unrecognizable and brutalized? What if she was alive up until they found no use for her to be breathing? What if there was no body left at all? All of that sat heavily in his mind but.. if any of that was true.. he would at least know it. "It doesn't matter what I find. She would want to be found." Matt said with slight confidence now. It was false confidence, but confidence nonetheless.

Karen seemed to understand that, "They probably won't like you stealing their science fair project."

"I'll take down as many men as I have to. It's what she would do for me."

"Be careful..." Karen stepped towards him slowly. He pulled her close to deliver a careful kiss on her forehead, hesitating for a moment.

He was so close to her lips. Matt could already imagine how she tasted, how she would sound as they parted and would be forced to finally face what the two of them had been denying for so long. Maybe they would be able to discuss it... Maybe Matt would be able to hear that she feels just as strongly as he does about her. Maybe he would be able to be truly happy with a woman for once in his life.

As Karen's eyes closed, the smell of Elektra's blood filled the room. This is what happened when you allowed yourself to love, was it not? If he allowed himself to be with Karen Page, would he cradle her body as she bleeds out? How would Karen sound as she was faced with her own mortality?

And so, he did not kiss her.

"I'll have to tell Peter about this. Maybe you can pass this along to MJ and you two can do your.. journalism thing," Matt put on a small smile despite how fake it was, "Be careful."

Karen smiled back, her own smile concealing falsehood as well, "You as well."

It wouldn't be until years in the future that Matt would realize 'be careful' does not simply mean to be careful. It would come to mean something more special to them and as they grew closer, they would find themselves telling each other to be careful more and more often. Everyone had their special way of saying 'I love you'.

For Matt and Karen? 'Be careful' was their 'I love you'.


	12. Job 7:11

_Therefore I will not keep silent; I will speak out in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my soul._

Job 7:11

Peter wasn't 100% the most focused person out there, but he was usually more focused than this. Doctor Octavius was saying something that was barely being picked up by him as he stared off into the distance. It was one thing to hear about the death of someone you vaguely knew. Knowing someone who was there, especially given they were using the tech you designed? He couldn't help but wonder if he could have done more.

So, as soon as he could, Peter scurried off to his lab to get back at tinkering. Maybe he could make the web fluid stronger, or have it fly farther. More kinds of web fluid? What if it lasted longer? His mind was filling up with possibilities, but as he went to write them down, something held him back.

If Matt had all this tech... would it really help?

With every idea he came up with, he found himself doubting how useful it really would have been. How was he supposed to be helpful if he had no idea what a vigilante really needed?

Peter soon found himself sitting at his desk, staring at an extra mask. It was one of the earlier prototypes he had for the Spider Devil costume. What was it like to be the man behind the mask? If Matt could give up his powers, would he?

And why was Peter almost jealous it wasn't him instead?

Peter was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice Doctor Octavius had entered the room. There was little he could do to hide any of the tech that was strewn across his desk, much less the mask that was in his hand. All he could think to do was simply say- "Oh shit."

"Peter?" Octavius asked, almost uncertain if what he was seeing was really there.

"Listen, I can explain, I just..."

Octavius held his hand up as he walked over to the desk, "This technology is impressive. I'd ask you why you have been holding back with it, but... I see it's already been used."

Oh shit. Peter set the mask down slowly, "I'm sorry, Doctor, I've been using your lab and your time to-"

"Help Spider Devil save lives? Why would you be sorry?"

"You're not mad?"

Octavius chuckled, "Of course I'm not mad. Just concerned. I noticed you were a little unfocused today, so I wanted to make sure if you're alright, but if you're just tired of all the extra work you've been putting in..."

It would be easy to simply lie to him, but that didn't feel right. Peter frowned as he turned in the chair to look towards the scientist, he thought so highly of, "No. I'm not tired and.. I'm not alright. Something happened that I could have done more to prepare him for."

"Him as in Spider Devil, I assume?" Octavius' expression mirrored Peter's, "What happened?"

It took a few minutes for Peter to fill Octavius in on everything that happened, obviously choosing to leave names out. Him finding Matt, getting involved with the Kingpin investigation, Elektra joining what he called the Spider Devil team, and her recent death. He never noticed how much had occurred since that day weeks ago when he was swept into something larger than life. Octavius seemed to take in all the information much better than Peter assumed he would, almost being proud of how much he accomplished in that time.

Peter would be lying if he said it wasn't a good feeling.

"And you're saying that, supposedly, if he had someone else working on his tech, she would still be alive?" Octavius asked after a moment of consideration.

He nodded slowly in reply, "I can't help but wonder what I'm doing wrong here!"

"Absolutely nothing!"

"Are you sure?"

Octavius reached over to grab his shoulder, "Of course, Peter, you're one of the smartest men I have ever worked with. Spider Devil is lucky to have someone like you on his side. Sometimes, things simply happen and all we can do is march forward."

"March forward..." Peter echoed, "Easier said than done."

"What else can we do but tr-" Octavius' words were cut off by the ringing of Peter's cell phone.

He hesitated for a moment before going to answer it. There was a time when he would have leaped to answer the phone, hoping it would be proof that his life was somewhat going better. Now, he had a good feeling it was either more bad news about Kingpin or something worse. Nevertheless, Peter lifted the phone to his ear, "Please don't be bad news, please-"

"Good news? Well, closer to neutral..."

"M- Spider Devil!" Peter breathed out, "That's funny. We were just talking about you."

Matt was silent for a second, "..We?"

"Doctor Octavius and I. He knows, but he's super cool ab- Doesn't matter. You had news?" Peter glanced back to Octavius, who had already returned to his own work.

"He knows my identity?!"

"No!" Too loud. Octavius looked up and Peter gave him a thumbs up, "He knows I'm working with you. Do you think I'm that stupid? Don't answer that."

There was a sigh before Matt started, "We're thinking Elektra's death has to do with Osborn's science project."

"Osborn's science project?" Peter repeated like an idiot.

"Osborn's science project?" Octavius also repeated, looking up again from this own work.

Of course Peter couldn't keep his mouth shut. He just had to loudly talk about everything. He stared at Octavius as if that would solve everything, but all it lead to was Matt getting impatient... and a weird look from the man he was staring at. His mouth felt too dry to say anything so he just turned around quickly to walk out.

Octavius, unfortunately started following him, "Wait, I think I might know what you're talking about. If you need information, I will gladly give what I know."

"How convenient," Matt muttered though Peter had a feeling he wasn't supposed to hear that, "Find out what he knows and we'll catch up at your place later. I have an idea."

Before Peter could question what that idea was, Matt hung up. Not even a goodbye. Now he thought about it, Matt usually didn't ever say goodbye when they were dealing with Spider Devil business. He made a mental note to mention that then turned to Octavius, "Great. Welcome to team SD."

"Team SD?"

"Team Spider Devil. It's what I've been calling it... to myself... but it will catch on. Eventually. Story time?" Peter grabbed a chair to sit down, turning it around so he could lean forward on the back.

Octavius sat down as well, "Believe it or not, Norman and I were roommates in college."

"...And they were roommates..."

"...Yes, that's what I just said." Once again, Octavius gave him a weird look.

Peter blinked, "Uh... Never mind. Keep going."

So, he did- "We were very close. Almost inseparable. In fact, we were just like you and Harry. As you already know, we started Oscorp together and went our separate ways, but all of that started our senior year of college- Near the end of it, to be exact. That was the year that Avengers officially started. Norman was fascinated with their abilities, but none more than Captain America herself."

"The most American of them all."

"No. She was the only one with notable powers. Iron Woman and Wasp both used technology, Black Widow seemingly has no powers, and Valkyrie... She was beyond any of us. Captain America? She was a human and now she could do so much more. He wanted nothing more than to figure out how he could harness that level of power so when he started his company, he made sure to create a science division that could try to replicate the original super soldier serum. We were getting pretty close until SHIELD stepped in to stop us. Osborn was furious."

He felt like he should be writing this down, "Do you think he's still trying to replicate the serum?"

Octavius laughed, "Definitely not. He shut down the program, claiming that it was a waste of time to try and replicate the past. Why not create something new? It was around that time he started allowing me to see less and less of his secrets. We were arguing much more now that I was starting to ask why he was creating what he was. The last thing I saw was only concepts for something that made me very nervous. He calls it Project S84."

"I'm guessing those letters and numbers don't mean anything?" Peter asked almost hopefully. It did roll off the tongue a lot better than 'Osborns secret science project'.

"Just the way he would classify whatever he couldn't outright name. All his secrets got a letter and numbers. I wasn't able to get a good look at it, but I know it was dangerous... and it needed human experimentation. I left as soon as I figured it out," Octavius sighed, "If I knew he was going to actually go through with it, I would have stayed. I wish I could be more help to you and Spider Devil."

Peter leaned forward to pat his shoulder, "You were already more than enough. Do you know where we would be able to find more out about Project S84." "Nowhere safely. You'd have to break into his lab and he has security. It's too dangerous."

"Not for a superhero!" Peter pushed himself off the chair, nearly losing balance, "I think I know what to do. I'll keep you up to date with any of the Osborn stuff and, uh... I hate to take you away from your own work, but..."

"You want me to look over the Spider Devil technology? Of course, I can already think of several improvements I think would be quite helpful."

Peter held his hands together in a prayer, "Thank you so much. I'll see you tomorrow!"

Octavius had a point, but he couldn't bring himself to care about any of that. Even if he wasn't the one physically breaking into the lab, he had a duty- A responsibility- to do what he could to help bring the kingpin of crime down. Besides... he had a good feeling he knew someone who would jump at the chance to find out what Osborn was hiding in his tower.

Convincing the others to go along with it was another story.


	13. Jeremiah 29:11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof.. Sorry, I got busy with life (and low inspiration), but I'm back. For now. Hell yeah!

_For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope._

Jeremiah 29:11 

  

In order to get through the rest of the story, we must take a moment here to shine light on one character who was only vaguely in the spotlight- Mary Jane Watson. For years, she found herself living her life defined by the people around her, whether it be her (past) relationship with Peter Parker, her friendship with Karen Page, or her severed relationship with her father. From the moment she left her home, she found herself searching for a way to be her own person. She would be overjoyed to hear how things would change for her if it came any other way. Before we get to the exciting parts, it's important to look at the whole picture, or in this case, her entire day leading up to the night that changes everything. 

  

MJ was having a pretty decent day, to say the least. The moment she arrived at work; she was given gracious praises for her latest piece by her editor (which would be in tomorrow's paper). She was finally able to sit down and have a lunch with one of the busiest people she knew- Gwen Stacy, 

  

To say Gwen Stacy was important to her would be an understatement. Gwen Stacy was one of the very first crushes she ever had on a woman. It was around the time she was figuring out her sexuality that she met Gwen back in college. She was in one of Peters nerdy classes and the two of them hit it off naturally. Despite her relationship with Peter, she found herself drawn to Gwen. Their chemistry was undeniable though denying it was what MJ seemed to do best.  

  

Things were changing. Gwen wanted to spend more and more time with her. In fact, MJ could have been with Gwen right now. 

  

But she wasn't. No, dear reader, she was sitting in a meet, watching her best friend and her other best friends' crush argue. Loudly. 

  

"It's too dangerous," Matt said for possibly the 30 millionth time, "There's a reason you wanted me to go in the first place-" 

  

"That was before I realized you were more concerned with revenge!" 

  

"Why else would we be breaking into Oscorp?" 

  

"To find out the truth!" MJ found herself shouting out at the same time as Peter. She had been doing her best to keep herself out of the argument, but given how it was going... It wasn't easy. 

  

Peter stepped towards Matt, "You wanted to know the truth! This was all your idea and- No. We can find revenge another time. If you go in there now to find Osborn, you'll put everything in jeopardy."  

  

"What else can we do?" Matt stepped forward as well, clearly more of a threat given he was the one kicking ass every night. Peter wouldn't stand a chance if he wanted to try anything, even with Matt having no reason to hurt him. Despite that, the arguing was getting to a boiling point. MJ knew she had to step in and do the impossible- make them act like adults. 

  

She braced herself as she stepped forward, "I'll do it." 

  

"What?" Peter was the first to verbally react, "MJ, you can't do that. It's going to be dangerous-" 

  

"I'm not a child. I can handle myself." 

  

Matt scoffed, "This isn't a playground, MJ, it's Norman Osborn's personal lab. The Kingpin of crime spends time there. He'll probably be there and if anything happens-" 

  

"Ugh! Men!" Her hands flew up in frustration, "Listen to yourselves here! Matt, I'm sorry Elektra died, but we can't have you running around the same building as the person behind her death. Peter has even less of a chance based on his asthma alone and let's be real, we need him. A lot. Much more than me." 

  

Peters face softened, "We need you too. I need you; Karen needs you. Gwen needs you." 

  

MJ bit her lip at the mention of Gwen, "I'm not... throwing my life away. I've done this before. I'm... It's... If we can cut losses, it can't be you and it can't be Matt. Please... Trust me on this." She looked towards Peter, who adverted his eyes to the ground, then to Matt. Both of their expressions were unreadable as they thought it over. 

  

"Alright." Matt said quietly, "Osborn won't know what hit him." 

  

"Secret agent MJ..." Peter said even quieter. He didn't sound worried, but MJ knew him well enough to know the truth. Humor was always his go-to weapon against fear. 

  

She smiled as she placed her hand on his arm, "So, boys, how is this going to go down?" 

  

The plan was easy enough and if MJ wasn't familiar with this kind of thing, she'd think it'd work out without a hitch. Simpler plans just meant more room to screw up or more room to improvise, if you were trying to positive. They were able to simplify it down to three goals: 

  1. Figure out what Osborn is up to
  2. Get hard proof of it (pictures or physical)
  3. Don't. Get. Caught.



  

Perhaps the third goal should be the most important, but there was little time to worry about the tiny things. Our trio only had so much time to get a plan working. Harry was still very useless, and Jude was busy, leaving all the work to them. Them and what information Doctor Octavius was able to give, of course. MJ wasn't surprised that he had some tie to Osborn, but she wasn't going to think too deeply on it either. An ally was an ally and he was trustworthy enough that she didn't have to worry. Given how willing he was to help, MJ had to guess he wasn't exactly Osborn's biggest fan... Not that it was any of her business. 

  

No reason to focus on any of that, though-- She had a mission to do. 

  

Getting into the building was easy. MJ was disguised as a scientist working there and an earpiece would allow Peter to help if she was asked any questions. Fortunately, it was late enough that whatever scientists there would be hard at work. MJ wouldn't be free to totally roam the halls, but she wouldn't have to deal with many people.  Peter was able to guide her through the building easily and it didn't take her long to reach the lab they singled in on. It was an unmarked lab that even Octavius wasn't allowed in. The door would usually be locked, but all that required was a little hacking.  

  

MJ swiped the card Peter had given her. She wasn't exactly sure how it worked (despite his explanation) beyond the simple version of it unlocking the door. It'd stay unlocked for about 20 minutes, which should be enough time for her to get what she needs and sneak out. She paused to get a good look at the room before she pulled her phone out. 

  

"Snake?" Peter's voice nearly startled her. 

  

"What?" 

  

"Snake. Like... Have you never played a Metal Gear Solid game?" 

  

"What?" MJ repeated. 

  

She could hear Peter sigh before he talked, "You know, like, the video game series? He's a secret agent and you're supposed to be stealthy-" 

  

"Peter!" 

  

"Right!" He said, a bit too loudly, "Sorry. You made it to the lab, right?" 

  

MJ glanced around again, "Yeah. There's... a lot of stuff here." 

  

"Alright, be careful." 

  

"Sure thing, Otacon." She switched off the comms before she could deal with Peter's reaction. There were more important things to focus on. 

  

The lab was larger than she expected. There were several glass containers filled with various animals, some she recognized and some she didn't. One of the containers was decently large with smaller glass cells in it. MJ snapped a picture of the various spiders with the noticeable broken one that was spiderless. That was not comforting. What was even less comforting, though, was the body lying on a table in the middle of the room. She stared at it for a few seconds, finally finding the confidence to take a step forward when the door started to move. MJ leaped behind the first solid thing she saw- one of the many storage cabinets- as it swung open. 

  

A woman, not much younger than MJ, walked in. A scientist who genuinely worked here, perhaps taking a wrong turn as she pushed open the recently unlocked door. She froze in surprise as she realized this was the wrong room, but she found herself moving towards the animals next.  

  

MJ held her hand over her mouth as the woman moved closer to her, her other hand resting against the storage cabinet. She wasn't sure what happened, but the next thing she felt was a sharp pain on her hand and the fear that it was all over. A squeak barely passed from her mouth. The scientist looked up as MJ quickly withdrew her hand to see what the hell happened. A spider scurried up the storage cabinet. Her stomach fell as she wondered what exactly just bit her.  

  

She tried to think of something she could do to deal with the scientist when the door swung open again and MJ felt her heart drop even more. 

  

"How in the world did you get in here?" Osborn's voice filled the room. There was something extra menacing about it when you knew he was the Kingpin of Crime. 

  

The scientist seemed to freeze up, "I... misread the numbers and the door was unlocked and- I'm sorry." 

  

MJ could only imagine the horrible things Osborn was thinking, though it seemed the world was feeling kind. Osborn moved towards the scientist slowly, "Doctor Moon- Can I call you Cindy? Cindy, don't worry. If the door was unlocked, someone else is at fault here. Unfortunately, you can't be here... Fortunately, I can help make sure you end up where you're supposed to be. What were you working on again?"  

  

She couldn't hear what Cindy Moon said as the two of them walked out of the lab. Little did the scientist know how much she helped... or how much her life was about to change.  

  

MJ jumped up because it was even more obvious now how little time she had. She walked over to the body, pulling the sheets aside to reveal what she thought would be Elektra's corpse. Instead, it was Bullseye. Or, at least, it was what she assumed was Bullseye. There was a... bullseye carved onto his forehead as well as scars littering what skin she saw. As she grabbed the sheet to cover him up again, his eyes open and his hand grabbed onto her wrist tightly. 

  

"I'm done being your test subje- I don't recognize you." He narrowed his eyes at her, "You don't work here, do you? 

  

MJ swallowed, "No. I think... I'm going to get you out of here." 

  

His grin widened and sent shivers down MJ's spine, "That's what I like to hear." 

  

Getting Bullseye out of his restraints was easier than it should have been. She grabbed several files, not bothering to look too much into them. There was no time to be precise when you had a supervillain in the building. There was also the issue of Bullseye being naked, but when she turned around... He seemed to have found clothes on his own. 

  

"Don't look so surprised," He pulled the files out of her hand and pressed them against his chest. Something slithered over them, completely obscuring them from vision. All he could do was grin as his face changed as well, "Okay, you can be surprised there. Just a little gift I can't wait to use against them." 

  

All MJ could wonder as she led him out was if this was the best choice. That and how she was going to stop Matt from absolutely losing his shit the moment he smelled Elektra's killer. 


	14. James 1:6

_But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind._

James 1:6

 

"You can't be serious."

 

Matt wasn't sure if he wanted to yell at MJ or Bullseye. Or both. He turned away from the two, trying to find a response deep within himself that didn't involve losing his shit. Out of all the people MJ could have brought back, she brought the one man he never wanted to see again (unless he kicked his ass).

 

MJ was lost for words as well. She gestured vaguely towards him, "He... got me out safe."

 

"He's a serial killer!"

 

"He's standing right here," Bullseye idly commented as he leaned against the wall, "And he's pretty fucking pissed at Osborn too."

 

It would have been so easy to strangle him right there. Matt was in strangling distance, though there was the actual murder that was making him hesitant. Could he murder Bullseye? Even if he could overpower the hitman and put himself in that position, would he be able to go through with it? He had wanted to for the last week, but now that he had a chance to... he was doubting himself. Himself, his own goals, what the last week had led up to. All that time of sitting with his anger and he couldn't bring himself to even attack Elektra's killer, much less kill him. Yet... he couldn't help but wonder if that was a bad thing.

 

Why throw away his moral code for this? Let Bullseye take one more thing away from him.

 

"...Matt?" MJ cautiously asked, "Are you alright?"

 

"Just thinking it over. Bullseye, you can stick around... if you behave." Matt uncrossed his arms as he faced the newest member of team Spider-Man.

 

Bullseye grinned widely, "I always behave."

 

"That is the last thing anyone who behaves would say," Peter leaned against the wall as he kept an eye on Bullseye, "Are we really keeping him around? He seems kind of..."

 

"Unstable? I could show you really unstable..."

 

As Bullseye took a step towards Peter, MJ quickly intervened, "Nope. We are not doing this, not tod-" Her words were cut off with a cry as she clutched her hand. Bullseye was the first to react, quickly grabbing her before she dropped to the ground.

 

Peter was next. He ran to her side, "Hey, what the hell did you do?"

 

"Nothing! If I wanted to hurt her- which I don't- it would have been a lot worse." Bullseye snarled in return, not letting Peter push him aside.

 

"That's bullshit."

 

"You're bullshit."

 

Matt winced at the sudden amount of yelling, holding up his hand to indicate that he needed some silence. Of course, they didn't listen, but was he really going to let some noise stop him? As he stepped toward MJ, a strange smell hit his nose- A very familiar smell. One he hadn't smelled in such a long time. He slowly grabbed her hand and gently felt her hand, "MJ... You said you hurt your hand, right?"

 

"Yeah..." MJ whimpered as she pulled her hand away.

 

He grabbed her hand once more to hold his up next to it. Down by his wrist sat a scar that was exactly like the one on her hand. A spider bite. "You got this yesterday, at Osborn's lab?"

 

She was silent for a few moments, "...Well, I always wanted to be a superhero. What was it Peter wanted you to be called? Spider-Man? Maybe we'll get Spider-Woman."

 

Matt wasn't sure what he was supposed to say to that and based on the silence from Peter, he could tell he wasn't the only one at a loss for words. Just what he needed was another person running out after him (just like Elektra was), another masked person thinking they could be the next Spider Devil. The next Avenger. Even worse, he still had no idea what Bullseye could do now. Who knew that throwing on a suit would make his life so complicated? He was supposed to be Spider Devil, their fearless leader, but he found himself wanting nothing more than to disappear.

 

He couldn't disappear now. Not when everyone was watching him- quite literally. Matt could feel their eyes on him as they waited for him to tell them what to do.

 

_'Fearless leader, my ass'_ was all Matt could think bitterly. Saying that would definitely not work.

 

"Okay," He started out. That's a good start. Makes him look like he knows what he's doing. "Peter, can we run tests on MJ? Or, have someone run tests on her. Whoever it is, make sure we can trust them. This should be contained as much as possible. Given how long we can assume Osborn's been working on the spiders, I'm sure whatever MJ's getting will be different from me."

 

"Aye aye, captain." Cheeky.

 

Matt turned towards Bullseye, "If we're going to be working together, I have to know what you can do. _You_ have to know what you can do. All we need now is to figure that out."

 

Finding that was a lot easier than one might think. All Matt had to was leave the building and he could already identify a great target to test out Bullseye's new abilities. Neither of them could understand what happened to him (nor could they read the folders MJ picked up), but the second-best way was to just throw him into combat. See what happened. Matt spent quite some time reminding Bullseye that murder was immoral and to not do it, but he found himself doubting it had an impact. Stopping people from killing other people was his favorite hobby though he never had to do it with an ally. Even Elektra promised...

 

It didn't matter what Elektra did. She's dead and now he's swinging around with her killer.

 

Why was his life like this?

 

A convenient robbery nearby was where this scene would take place- A group of men who really thought they'd get away with it in the home of the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and Spider Devil. However, those two weren't the only lurking around the corner. New York City was a large one and it was only a matter of time before they met.

 

Matt dropped down first. He sneaked forward a few steps before Bullseye came crashing down in front of him, immediately shooting out at the robbers. Grabbing one by the neck, he tossed around before opening his jaws as if he was to bite his head off-

 

Nope. That's exactly what he was doing.

 

"What the hell?" Matt barely had enough time to knock out and web up the remaining robbers.

 

"Just doing what I do best," Bullseye grinned widely, "You know what Osborn called this thing he gave me? The ultimate Predator. I'm not Bullseye anymore- I'm the Predator!"

 

This wasn't going to work out (obviously). Matt jumped in the nick of time as a tentacle shot out at him. As he kept dodging, his foot hit the edge and Matt found himself tumbling down onto the ground. Bullseye wasted no time climbing onto him.

 

"You thought I would work with you?" He leered as he leaned in.

 

"It was a nice thought."

 

Bullseye barked a laugh before shifting his hand into a single, sharp point to aim right at his throat. He pressed in slightly, "You know, maybe I should return to the cute little team you assembled. Tell them how you were killed, and I could barely get away. Lead them all to their death... Not that MJ girl, though. I like her. Maybe-"

 

Whatever Bullseye was planning to say didn't matter. Several gunshots cut him off mid-sentence, giving Matt enough time to shove him off. He rolled out of the way just in time for a flash-bang to go off, resulting in a loud screech from either Bullseye or the Predator.

 

Matt's ears rang, but not enough that he would pass out. Whoever rescued him seemed to be mindful of his hearing.

 

Bullseye scampered off like a wounded animal, leaving Matt with his rescuer. His rescuer- A man who was much taller than him in what seemed to be military grade armor. The guns hiding in it were just as fancy. There was only one man in New York who this could be. A man Matt hadn't given much thought of until now.

 

"I'm the Punisher," The man introduced himself, "You're welcome for saving your life."


	15. Proverbs 27:12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...College. You already know. I don't want to suddenly switch around formatting but I guess I'm trying new things so I'd appreciate feedback on that. Enjoy!

_The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty_

Proverbs 27:12

 

It would be several days until Matt thought of the Punisher again. He had been avoiding him, having heard of his methods. His brutality... Matt knew he wouldn't be able to get along with someone like that. Even Elektra could show mercy.  Between his short time with Elektra and his even shorter time with Bullseye, Matt found himself spending more time with killers. 

 

No wonder he was so close to becoming one himself. 

 

His team had changed so much over the span of the last months- His team. Since when did he need a team? Matt found himself yearning for a simpler time when it was just him against the world. There were no Kingpins or symbiotes or people dying because they believed in him. He couldn’t just throw himself into any situation anymore- He had to think about what he did. His actions had consequences beyond his own health. Now that he was a leader, he had to be responsible. A responsibility that was pushed onto him by people that he’s so grateful for knowing yet wishing he hadn’t. Not for his sake, but theirs.  

 

Maybe that was why he found himself crouching about the Punisher. And, maybe that was why he found himself returning to him, night after night. Matt was a few older than the man who eventually gave him a real name- Flash. As far as he could tell, Flash was a veteran with a backstory that he wasn’t too keen on sharing.  

 

Matt wasn’t responsible for Flash’s safety. Flash could handle himself while hearing Matt whine about the importance of a human life. It was almost… therapeutic. Maybe, in another life, they could be friends. Maybe they could be in this one too. 

 

There was only so long Matt could keep this up, though. Eventually, he had to introduce Flash to the rest of his team. What he was expecting the least was their reactions. 

 

They were where they always set up: Peter’s apartment. It had become a sort-of HQ for all Team Spider related activities and sometimes, Matt found himself spending more time there than at his own apartment. A home away from home. He held a small, unexpected fondness for it. Who would have thought? 

 

Peter blinked for a few minutes, “…Flash?” 

“Peter?” Flash repeated, “Peter Parker? Like, Penis Parker from-” 

“Oh my god.”  

MJ couldn’t help but let out a laugh at Peter’s reaction, “Penis Parker? Really?” 

“Yeah! I knew him back in high school.” Flash slung an arm around Peter, a gesture that was quickly shoved away.  

The laughs died down as it became obvious how Peter was feeling, “Knew me? You bullied me, Flash, you made me feel like shit.” 

 

Flash was silent as he processed that, and the entire room hushed. Matt felt himself disappear into the background as he listened to their conversation, realizing that this was going to be the first time he learned anything real about his newest ally. There was no way he could have predicted this. Yet… he still felt guilty that he spent so much time with someone who hurt Peter.  

 

“Things changed, Peter.” Flash replied quietly, taking on a more serious look. Something more recognizable as the one-man army, “I’m sorry for all of that… I was a real punk. Took me awhile to realize that.”  

“What happened?” 

Flash chuckled, “The Marines happened. War happened. I was just… so angry at everything and you were my punching bag. Turns out there was a better way to get my anger out. There was a mix up in the assignments. Was supposed to get sent elsewhere, but joined the wrong unit and…” A new venom was added to his words as he continued, “They weren’t good people, Peter. Worse than me. I met the guy I swapped places with and he’s happy with his family.” 

“And you wish it was him? 

“No!” Flash snapped, “It shouldn’t have been anyone. That’s why I do what I do.” 

“What you do?” Peter faltered, “Wait, am I missing something here? What do you do?” 

“Punish.” Flash didn’t need any more explanation than that. Peter stepped back in surprise, nearly stumbling over a chair as he did.  

 

 _Punish_. The only word that could really describe what Flash Thompson spent his nights, prowling throughout the city. Looking for his next victim. Peter and MJ were at a loss for words as they processed this new information. Matt, despite being aware, found himself unable to respond as well. He was always curious about what made Flash the man he was. Now that he got what he wanted; he wasn’t sure how to process it.  

 

Peter broke the silence with a nervous chuckle, “…Right. Cool, so, Flash Thompson. The Punisher. He’s not joining team Spider Devil, is he?” 

Before Matt could respond (or even think of a response), Flash responded, “No. I don’t do teamwork.” 

“You’ve been teaming up with me.” 

“You’ve been teaming up with him?” Peter gasped, “Why didn’t you tell me this?” 

“I’m telling you now.” Matt answered as if that made things better. Better late than never. 

“Hold on,” MJ held her hand up, “If you needed someone to help, why didn’t you come to me? I’ve been working on my powers. I think I got them covered.”  

“Don’t want you to get hurt.” He shot back. 

MJ rolled her eyes, “I’m a big girl, Matt, I can handle myself. Now that I have abilities-” 

“I don’t want you to get hurt.”  

“Then I won’t!”  

 

“MJ, you got your abilities a week ago! It took me years to get into the hang of using my abilities, much less fighting with them.” Matt found his voice getting louder. He didn’t mean to, but MJ totally started it. 

 

She would have continued if Flash didn’t step it, “Hey! Guys, what the hell? I was there and he showed up. We didn’t have any deep conversations or some shit. We weren’t a team- Just two people who were there with a common goal. If MJ has powers, you should let her help before she goes out on her own. MJ, you having abilities doesn’t mean you’re invincible.” 

 

“How would you know what it’s like?”  

“I don’t,” Flash paused, “But I know a woman who does, and she said she got herself nearly killed because she wasn’t smart.” 

“Wait, wait wait wait wait. Flash, what do you mean?” Peter pushed himself back into the conversation. 

“I didn’t question it. She talked a lot about dying and revenge. Likes to tell me not to be stupid.”  

Matt grabbed his arm with a sudden intensity no one expected, not even him, “Her name. What was her name?” 

“Sin Eater. I didn’t get her real name… Uh… Why are you guys looking at me like that?” 

 

That was impossible. Elektra was the only one who used that name, unless the original Sin Eater escaped prison and Matt would have heard about it. Someone was either using her name or… 

 

“She’s alive?” Peter was the first to speak up, “How could she be alive? What was the entire point of Bullseye getting predator if their test subject isn’t dead?” 

“Punishment,” Matt breathed out. Ironic given their present company. 

 

Flash was obviously confused, “What? Bullseye? What are you people talking about?” 

“We know Sin Eater. She… died a month or so ago and…” Matt’s mouth felt dry. He just recently started to accept what happened to her and now… Was it selfish of him to not be overjoyed she was back? How is one supposed to feel when someone they love came back from the dead? All the anguish and despair he went through- was it all for nothing? 

 

“Oh, cool. I can bring you to her.” Flash offered as if he didn’t hear the ‘she died’ explanation. He was already pulling out his phone. 

Peter blinked, “What? Flash, what do you mean- Are you calling here?” 

He was. Flash was silent for several seconds, “Yeah? I... need you for something…. It’s nothing too important, but- You’ll come to the regular meeting spot? Great. See you soon.”  

“Flash, what the hell?” 

“What? You can’t just pretend she’s not around or anything?”  

 

Matt wanted to argue, but he knew he was right. He could spend the next few chapters angsting about it and put off reuniting with Elektra or we could get on with it. Everyone's missing Elektra. It’s about time she reappeared in the story.  

 

“Where are we meeting her?” Matt asked, pushing down every opinion he had about her sudden revival. 

“I’ll show you.” Flash didn’t waste a second to leave, only flashing a peace sign as goodbye.  

Matt followed closely behind, his heart already beating fast. He only then considered the idea this was a trap, but it was too late to do anything about it. If Elektra was truly out there, he had to be sure of it.  

 

And if this wasn’t Elektra… Whoever was using her name would have some questions to answers and hell to pay. 


End file.
